Seed Bombing at Amnesty International Human Rights Concert 08-08-08

On August 8, 2008 the Lethbridge Amnesty International Friendship Circle had a concert for Human Rights in Galt Gardens. The date was 20 years from the day 8-8-88 when university students in Burma took to the streets in the name of democracy (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7012158.stm).

Also at the event were tables that had been invited to set up during the concert - most of the tables were groups that were connected to activism, community and diversity (my personal favourite was a native woman selling Bannock mix...served the same as the natives were given it for rations...in a cloth sac, so subversive.

Lethbridge Guerilla Gardeners were there, we had a table. Shawna, Liam (who has the undefeated title of world's youngest guerilla gardener at 9mo...he has been gardening since he was a baby : D), Paul and myself. We created and gave out seed bombs (description below). The seed bombs were a hit. People of all ages were really into them - which was super cool.

I had many people who came up and let me know that they had executed/attempted their own guerilla gardens...I met so many people so I can't remember names - but one of my that I thought was particularly lovely was a man that said he had gathered some kids from his neighbour hood and they had weeded and cleared out a section of an empty lot...a lot that has been empty I think as long as I lived in Lethbridge...and just as they got their spot ready for planting new owners came, cleared the lot and fenced it! They were so disappointed - I told him that is part of it though - and that the actions he led them to are life altering for them - it will have impact.

It was affirming to meet so many people that were conscious of guerilla gardening, the Boulevarden, urban farming, and the importance of sharing our garden bounties.

Seed bombing, also known as "Seed Grenades" is a technique of introducing vegetation to arid soils or otherwise inhospitable terrains. A seed bomb is a compressed clod of soil containing live vegetation that may be thrown or dropped onto a terrain to be modified. The term "seed grenade" was first used by Liz Christy in 1973 when she started the "Green Guerillas". The first seed grenades were made from balloons filled with local wildflower seeds, water and fertilizer. The seed grenades were tossed over fences onto empty lots in New York City in order to make the neighborhoods look better. It was the start of the Guerrilla Gardening movement.