Festive opening of the Community Garden

Sense of community 

The idea was suggested by a need for a quiet place where people can take a break from study or work, socialize, and contribute together to making the campus a more sustainable place. In the Community Garden, students, colleagues, and local residents can indulge in their shared passion for gardening to their hearts’ content. The garden is a place to create a sense of community within the university, but also beyond. Everyone is welcome. It is an ideal haven for anyone who needs a quiet meeting place where they can be one with nature. 

The Community Garden is a place for meeting and learning. For example, the shared responsibility for the garden challenges users to learn more about plants and vegetables and other things they want to grow there. The fruit and veg the garden will hopefully yield brings a new challenge: how can we cook a healthy and sustainable meal with the produce? More local is hardly imaginable! The garden inspires us to reflect on where our food comes from and whether it was grown in a sustainable way. Besides, the Community Garden can be the perfect place for a digital detox and other restful activities and moments to recharge, for instance, al fresco yoga or a training session in a natural and inspiring environment. 

Sustainability and circularity 

Tilburg University is working continuously to make the campus more sustainable. The Community Garden is a case in point. A drinking water tap is installed, encouraging the use of reusable water bottles. Everyone contributing to the garden is asked to provide their own materials. So bring your old rake, watering can, or hoe from your own shed, to avoid the unnecessary purchase of new gardening tools. A compost heap will be built so there is no need for artificial fertilizer. Rainwater will be collected in a second-hand water barrel, buffering water for irrigation and reducing the need for tap water. In addition, old paving bricks reclaimed from elsewhere on campus have been reused to build insect hotels, among other things. 

Strengthening biodiversity and climate adaptation  

Not only will insect hotels provide an inviting environment for wildlife, the bird boxes that users can install will also help to attract bird species. Replacing pavement with soil and vegetation reduces heat stress and makes the garden more attractive for insects. In places that are paved, there will be room between the pavers so grass can grow, reducing heat and allowing rainwater to infiltrate the ground. In this way, the Community Garden contributes to embracing and strengthening biodiversity on our beautiful green campus. 

Healthy campus 

All the love and knowledge that goes into this garden will hopefully yield fine, campus-grown produce. In this way, we hope to contribute to the exchange and development of knowledge in the field of healthy, sustainable, and locally grown food. The fruit trees, berry bushes, and edible flowers that have been planted will provide a diverse supply of food from our own garden.  

Everyone is cordially invited to visit the Community Garden for a delightful moment of rest. Also, if your green fingers are itching, you are more than welcome to get your hands dirty. The Community Garden is there for everyone! Reach out to communitygarden@tilburguniversity.edu if you are interested in joining.