Increasingly more people are being forced to leave their homeland due to dispute and displacement. At the very same time, the consequences of environment change are becoming increasingly tangible in the type of dry spells, heavy rains and increasing temperatures. Where these 2 crises intersect is the beginning point for Academy in Exile’s project entitled “Garden(s) of Haven”, which intends to sharpen awareness of this connection. “With ‘Garden(s) of Sanctuary’, we want to envision the concept of safe havens– both for people and nature,” describes Accessory Professor Vanessa Agnew, who heads Academy in Exile together with Teacher Kader Konuk. Some of the individuals in the afforestation job themselves stem from regions where the repercussions of environment change can currently be plainly felt in the form of storms, fires, droughts, extreme temperatures or rising water level. “Planting a micro-forest provides a platform for going over these results,” says Teacher Agnew.
Academy in Exile released the project in 2024, in cooperation with numerous organizations at TU Dortmund University and the UA Ruhr Intermediary Office New York. Researchers from the Department of Spatial Planning determined an ideal location on campus. The area was very first cleared of brambles, then the ground was prepared, a course laid and a seating area constructed before the first trees could be planted. The “Garden(s) of Haven” was planted according to the Miyawaki method, an afforestation technique called after the Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki: To promote development and develop a totally established forest in a brief space of time, numerous native species are planted especially close together.
The “Garden(s) of Refuge” project is funded by the Allianz Structure, the Mellon Foundation and the Rudolf Chaudoire Foundation, with in-kind contributions from local companies. A partner garden is presently being planted at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio.
The “Garden(s) of Sanctuary” as a place for research study and encounter
The micro-forest is at the disposal of all members of TU Dortmund University as a place to fulfill and relax. “Individuals who wish to enjoy a moment of solitude and see birds or other animals are currently going there,” reports Teacher Agnew. The micro-forest is also being integrated into research study and mentor: Together with Dr. Bryce Lawrence from the Department of Spatial Planning, Agnew is using sound recordings from the micro-forest to examine how the soundscape of previous wasteland can be brought back. The objective is to evaluate these recordings in the future to figure out how the afforestation process alters the soundscape. Another research job to examine plant density based upon the Miyawaki technique is already prepared. Students participating in used literary and cultural studies seminars and children from the close-by HoKiDo kindergarten likewise assisted to prepare and plant the micro-forest.
In October 2026, Academy in Exile will organize an international conference on the subject of “Climate-Migration-Refuge”, during which the “Garden(s) of Sanctuary” will be officially opened. In addition, the micro-forest will become part of the International Garden Exhibition (IGA), which will happen in the Ruhr region in 2027.
Academy in Exile’s activities are also a source of motivation for projects at other universities. In June, the “Garden of Refuge Walk” opened as a short-lived exhibit in the Arboretum at Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), with the goal of drawing attention to the courage and durability of maltreated scholars worldwide.
Additional info on the job
About Academy in Exile
Academy in Exile (AiE) was founded in 2017 and has actually been hosted given that 2023 by the Department of Cultural Studies at TU Dortmund University. It projects for scientists at danger and awards scholarships and fellowships to scholars in the humanities, social sciences or law and artists threatened due to the fact that of their research, art and/or civic engagement.
Impressions from the “Garden(s) of Refuge”: