Residents of Forest Heights get growing

Forest Heights is home to Kitchener’s original food forest. Thanks to a group of enthusiastic residents, the unused green space next to the Forest Heights Community Centre became a forest full of fruit trees, berry bushes, flowers, and herb plots in the summer of 2015.

The idea came from Nicola Thomas, a Forest Heights resident with a passion for making locally grown, organic food available to everyone. Members of the community can have their pick of fresh fruits and herbs, selecting their favourites from the garden before continuing on their way.

Edible forests imitate the natural environment of a real forest. They are self-sustaining and do not require as much upkeep as a community garden.

Around 40 residents came prepared wearing gardening boots and with shovels in hand to help on planting day in 2015.  In one day, volunteers planted ten berry bushes, three fruit trees, and a baby maple.

Now, the community can enjoy free fruit and other edible plants that they helped grow with their own hands. They know where their food comes from and they have the satisfaction of growing it themselves. They get to enjoy a taste of rural life in the heart of the city with neighbours and friends.

Best of all, they started a new local trend. The initiative has grown into a volunteer-driven organization called Grand River Food Forestry, with projects all across Waterloo Region.

Check out Grand River Food Forestry to learn more about how residents of Kitchener are using green spaces to create beautiful, healthy, and better connected neighbourhoods!

Plan your own food forest project in your neighbourhood with the help of a matching grant.

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