Increasingly more individuals are being forced to leave their homeland due to conflict and displacement. At the very same time, the effects of climate modification are becoming progressively tangible in the type of dry spells, heavy rains and rising temperatures. Where these 2 crises intersect is the beginning point for Academy in Exile’s task entitled “Garden(s) of Haven”, which intends to sharpen awareness of this connection. “With ‘Garden(s) of Refuge’, we wish to visualize the concept of safe havens– both for people and nature,” discusses Accessory Teacher Vanessa Agnew, who heads Academy in Exile together with Professor Kader Konuk. Some of the individuals in the afforestation task themselves originate from areas where the effects of climate modification can already be clearly felt in the kind of storms, fires, droughts, severe temperature levels or increasing water level. “Planting a micro-forest provides a platform for talking about these impacts,” says Professor Agnew.
Academy in Exile released the task in 2024, in cooperation with numerous organizations at TU Dortmund University and the UA Ruhr Liaison Office New York. Researchers from the Department of Spatial Planning identified an ideal location on school. The area was very first cleared of brambles, then the ground was prepared, a course laid and a seating area built before the very first trees could be planted. The “Garden(s) of Haven” was planted according to the Miyawaki approach, an afforestation strategy named after the Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki: To promote growth and develop a totally established forest in a brief space of time, various native species are planted especially close together.
The “Garden(s) of Haven” task is funded by the Allianz Structure, the Mellon Foundation and the Rudolf Chaudoire Foundation, with in-kind contributions from regional services. A partner garden is presently being planted at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio.
The “Garden(s) of Haven” as a place for research and encounter
The micro-forest is at the disposal of all members of TU Dortmund University as a place to fulfill and relax. “People who want to delight in a moment of peace and quiet and see birds or other animals are currently going there,” reports Professor Agnew. The micro-forest is likewise being incorporated into research and teaching: Together with Dr. Bryce Lawrence from the Department of Spatial Planning, Agnew is utilizing sound recordings from the micro-forest to examine how the soundscape of previous wasteland can be brought back. The goal is to examine these recordings in the future to identify how the afforestation procedure alters the soundscape. Another research study task to take a look at plant density based on the Miyawaki method is already planned. Trainees going to used literary and cultural research studies seminars and kids from the close-by HoKiDo kindergarten also helped to prepare and plant the micro-forest.
In October 2026, Academy in Exile will organize a worldwide conference on the topic of “Climate-Migration-Refuge”, throughout which the “Garden(s) of Sanctuary” will be formally 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 Sanctuary Walk” opened as a temporary exhibition in the Arboretum at Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), with the objective of drawing attention to the courage and strength of persecuted scholars worldwide.
Further information on the project
About Academy in Exile
Academy in Exile (AiE) was founded in 2017 and has been hosted given that 2023 by the Department of Cultural Research Studies at TU Dortmund University. It projects for researchers at danger and awards scholarships and fellowships to scholars in the liberal arts, 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 Sanctuary”: