TNOC Festival 2024

Schoolyards in Germany were often planned decades ago, with more thought given to practicality and ease of cleaning than to the comfort and health of pupils. In the face of a changing climate, school grounds should become green oases to provide a nature experience, but also to adapt to increasing heat and manage water. How can we work with stakeholders to promote this goal?

Urban grasslands offer opportunities for biodiversity and climate adaptation. We developed a comprehensive urban grassland concept for the Berlin district of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf that we want to present to and discuss with the attendees. As part of the concept, we are developing a rapid assessment system for urban grassland based on indicator species derived from a grassland survey in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. In Part 1 (this session), we will give a virtual talk on our urban grassland concept, with a focus on the methodology and findings of our grassland survey. In Part 2 (separate session), we will showcase locally produced, climate-adapted plants from the district's own nursery onsite at Atelier Gardens for festival attendees to visit in June.

Berlin's first neighborhood-scale comprehensive climate adaptation plan is an iterative, year-long process that involved multiple levels of stakeholder input. Neighbors, community groups, public authorities and experts engaged in the development of Mierendorff-Insel's adaptation plan, culminating in 66 different interventions recommended for implementation across timescales. We will share our process, findings and lessons learned in this session and invite participants to exchange on their ideas and experiences.

A site visit to the publicly accessible Wilmersdorf stadium to view the sheep grazing pilot project launched in 2021. Sheep are brought into the stadium twice a year to graze at its former grandstands which have been taken over by plants and shrubs for the past 20 years. The sheep help push back woody growth to make room for more species to thrive and to promote biodiversity. The juxtaposition of sheep in the stands and people exercising on the field is an unexpected sight to behold! Bring your running shoes or yoga mat for an (individual) outdoor workout afterwards.

Meeting point:
Fritz-Wildung-Straße 914199 Berlin

Google link: https://g.co/kgs/aRb9xSt