In a time that we have lost the connection to Nature in many respects, the Danish capital makes a step towards a reconnection. Have you ever been to Copenhagen?

If you have, you should definitely visit it again, as things are about to get even better there!

The city council has voted for planting public fruit trees, such as blackberry bushes and apple trees, in various public green spaces, including parks, playgrounds, cemeteries, churchyards, and sports facilities.

Astrid Aller, a Copenhagen City Councilor from the Socialist People’s Party, supported this initiative, and maintains that this “interactive urban orchard” will help residents connect to their communities:

“We think of the city as something that we all own. We want all this collectively owned area to be something that people can use and interact with.”

“Many Copenhageners don’t have their own gardens and therefore don’t have a chance to see the learning process, including for children, that nature is something you can use. It might seem like a small thing but it’s part of our aim for Copenhagen to be a place you want to be, not a place you drive around by car.

We want a city where you’re not just at home, at work or at a park, but where the whole city is a space in which people want to be.”

Denmark has a long history of local foraging, and citizens were allowed to harvest food from public lands since the Middle Ages.

If they remained on the trail, they could also harvest from private lands with footpaths.

Now, the practice will be allowed in an urban setting as well.

Mikkel-Lau Mikkelsen, program manager at Vild Mad, which is an organization dedicated to showing people the ecological and gastronomic benefits of foraging, says:

“Foraging connects people with what’s around them. It’s the ultimate way to really experience the nature they’re in: to taste it.”

The organization was launched by forager René Redzepi, the chef behind Copenhagen’s Noma restaurant, and one of the creators of New Nordic Cuisine.

If you intend to visit Denmark soon, download Vild Mad, a free mobile app that will help you with foraging, and enjoy the free, portable munchies!

Sources:
matadornetwork.com
www.atlasobscura.com
www.thelocal.dk