Come tour a four-year old Forest Garden in a very urban Chicago front and backyard. Now is the best time to see the structure since all the vegetation has not leafed out yet.

This two hour tour will include a walking lecture on

• the specifics of how the forest garden was built
• which fruit tree varieties were chosen
• fruit tree guilds
• use of salvaged materials
• earthworks
• location of zones and sectors
• discuss ongoing issues and further developments

As a bonus, see a 3 year old community garden being built using permaculture regenerative techniques.

This tour is limited to only 10 people so everyone’s questions may be answered.

Location: North Lawndale, Chicago — address will be given to you upon RSVP.

Biography: Annamaria Leon completed her Permaculture Design Course under the tutelage of Peter Bane, Keith Johnson, and Rhonda Baird in Bloomington, IN in Fall 2011. Upon completion of the course she assisted in the redesign of the gardens at Inspiration Kitchens’ gardens (no longer extant), the public landscaping along East Garfield Park’s business corridor at Lake and Kedzie, and the Martin Luther King Peace Path to name a few of her projects.

Besides being a permaculture designer and teacher, AnnaMaria is also an edible landscaper, Traditional Chinese Feng Shui consultant, and received training as a Master Gardener and Master Composter through UIC – Extension.

Wishing to understand the principles behind Urban Agriculture’s approach to production and farming in the city, she completed the Chicago Botanic Garden / Windy City Harvest certificate in Sustainable Horticulture and Agriculture in October 2013. Through this training she interned at the Vocational Rehabilitation Impact Center (VRIC), a division of Cook County’s Sheriff’s Department where she assisted the Head Grower in all areas of food production and processing, maintained an integrated aquaculture system, and installed ornamental, native, and meditation gardens. Part of the internship was to interface with non-violent inmates and engage them in proper gardening procedures and horticulture therapy.

Current projects include the Greening of 16th Street in North Lawndale, the creation of a production garden and permaculture orchard in the MLK Historic District, and the design and installation of permaculture plantings in Millennium Park with Christy Webber Landscapes where she is helping launch their Edible Landscaping Division.