Next to the São Lázaro Library, a community orchard was created by the Regador association, with kiwis, passion fruit, berries, melon pears, and grapes.
A small orchard planted by the community that the community can enjoy. This is the most recent initiative of Watering cana neighborhood association that was created in the middle of the pandemic last year to strengthen neighborhood ties by creating and maintaining small gardens and community spaces.
The first "construction" of Regador was a vertical garden in Penha de França. It was created in September 2020 with the help of many hands, on one of the days of The Street Is Yours in front of the Sappers Market. The garden started with edible plants; meanwhile, the neighbors added other species and some "living pictures", loaded with cacti. One year later, the garden remains alive, colorful, and in good health.
From the Sapper Market to the "Manchester Stairs"in Arroios, Regador developed a planting workshop that brought kids and adults together to decorate the trees surrounding the staircase. As in the first project, the central objective here was similar: create local communities, get neighbors talking and getting to know each other, slow down the pace of life, share stories, knowledge and resources, and value family and community time.
It was in this spirit that Regador moved for another initiative, this time last June. In front of the São Lázaro Library, in Arroios, a community orchard was built. They planted 14 fruit trees that will climb around the back of the elementary school, creating a green wall that will, on one hand, give the children's playground more privacy and, on the other hand, will give - the neighbors hope - fresh and tasty fruits and vegetablesas kiwis, passion fruit, berries, melon pears, and grapes.
The Regador association collaborates with the local Parish Councils to create these projects, whether they be orchards, gardens, or vegetable gardens. Each flowerbed and each structure that serves as its base are made with the hands of the people who are part of the Association and who join in its initiatives, seeking to reuse material whenever possible. For example, the beds in this new orchard are the result of reusing pallets.
Regador shows that citizenship can be done with the hands on earth, that it is possible to generate communities in city neighborhoods, bring neighborhoods together, and create new bonds with people and with the city. You can follow the association's work here.
