The Global Diversity Foundation

www.global-diversity.orgwww.globaldiversity.org.uk

The Global Diversity Foundationa world of difference

GDF pursues its mission by working with local people and institutions in various regions to support:

• agricultural diversity,

with a focus on the in situ

conservation of crop varieties

and traditional agroecosystems

• biological diversity,

emphasizing the animal

and plant resources that are

traditionally used or newly

adopted by local people

• cultural and linguistic

diversity, especially the rich

environmental knowledge

that has been encoded in local

languages over time

We believe that globalization can go hand-in-hand with diversity. But it requires education, research and sheer hard work in the form

of long-term, community-based projects.

In collaboration with diverse institutions, we support the participation of a wide range of community members – including children, young adults and elders – in our research and development programs. Areas of specific focus include the continuity of ethnobiological knowledge, community access to biological resources and the conservation of biodiversity. We bring these concerns to a wider public through international courses, publications and our website.

THE GLOBAL DIVERSITY FOUNDATION

PROMOTES AGRICULTURAL, BIOLOGICAL AND

CULTURAL DIVERSITY AROUND THE WORLD

through research, training and social action. We conduct applied research and provide training on biocultural diversity at specific field sites in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Our community and conservation projects build on local traditions and knowledge to secure education, health, nutrition and other basic human rights for marginalized peoples.

To learn more about the work of GDF uuu

GDF is a US 501(c)(3) non-profit and is Charity Commission registered in England and Wales

At present, GDF priority regions include Mesoamerica, North Africa,

and Southeast Asia.


On 15 March 2010, the students at Lalla Aouda High School in Marrakech inaugurated

a restored ornamental garden in its school grounds. The school, named after the mother

of the most famous king of the Saadiene Dynasty, provides continuing education and

internship opportunities to girls between 15 and 22 years of age. This was the first

parcel of land that GDF helped to transform with the students in 5400 square meters

of dedicated green space on the school campus. The work was realized through a

partnership between the Lalla Aouda High School Environmental Club, Victor Hugo

High School, the Palm Grove Observatory of Marrakech, Morocco Experience and

Projects, and GDF.

GDF IN NORTH AFRICA

GDF works in close collaboration with local partners in North Africa to support biodiversity conservation, education and sustainable livelihoods. Our focus is on developing programmes to sustain biodiversity – especially of plants and animals in trade – as well as local ecological knowledge and practice. We are dedicated to supporting long-term community-based initiatives where ecological sustainability can be addressed while maintaining dynamic cultural traditions.

In Morocco, GDF’s community conservation projects aim to maintain agricultural and horticultural traditions in Marrakech, support Amazigh residents of the High Atlas mountains to develop their ecological knowledge while accessing formal education, and improve nutrition and income by promoting agroforestry systems.

THE LALLA AOUDA HIGH SCHOOL GARDEN PROJECT

www.global-diversity.org/regional-program-north-africawww.globalgiving.org/projects/gdf-marrakech-girls-school-garden


THE PROJECT, IN BRIEF

• Thorn trees surrounding the school created areas that collected garbage, an unwelcome sight for the students. Work crew were hired to remove litter and trim overgrown trees.

• Graduate student in landscape architecture, Charles Hamilton, worked with the school to draw up a garden plan that includes ornamental and edible plants, capturing the cultural history of Marrakech.

• Video production company, Len Davis of Pangeality Productions, visited the school to produce a documentary of the rehabilitation work, capturing the perspectives of students and teachers on the revitalization of their campus.

• Rehabilitation efforts of the gardens have involved students, and both teaching and administrative staff, who have been cleaning and tending to the gardens, and learning how to compost and identify plants.

• GDF signed a partnership with the association ‘Appui à l’école de la réussite’ of Lalla Aouda High School to facilitate the rehabilitation of the school garden.

• GDF is working on ethnobotanical education with the students. 30 students conducted field research by interviewing Marrakechi herbalists about important cultural recipes. A database of the girls’ findings, titled, “An Ethnobotanical Study of Five Traditional Women’s Recipes”, is currently being compiled.

• Discussions have been conducted with local authorities to gain their support to facilitate the reports of the high school with neighboring houses so that they are conscientious of the importance of the garden for the school, and with the Regional Academy of Education, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz.

• Several clean-up activities were carried out involving paid workers and aided by teachers of the school to clear rubbish that had accumulated in the school grounds over the years.

For more about the Lalla Aouda High School Garden Projectuuu

www.global-diversity.org/regional-program-north-africahttp://www.globaldiversity.org.uk/regional-programme-north-africa


OTHER GARDEN PROJECTS IN MOROCCO

• Ongoing rehabilitation of the herb garden at Koutoubia High School;

• Installation of a new irrigation system at Agdal Hmad Ba’s school to enhance the productivity of the school’s garden which consists of ornamental plants, aromatic plants and vegetables;

• Transformation of a vacant, trash-filled lot in College Abdelmoumen into an aromatic garden, with 20 different species of herbs;

• Rehabilitation of the courtyard of Dar Talib of Aoufouss using organic fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants;

• Distribution of organic vegetables fresh from the gardens of Ibn Abi Sofra, providing regular lunches for its students and their families;

• Planting of a new aromatic garden at Dar Taliba of Ourika, with the support of students from University of Minnesota. This herb garden contains 20 different species of herbs, each of which will be labeled with its Latin, Arabic, Berber, and French names.

uuu

GDF is a US 501(c)(3) non-profit and is Charity Commission registered in England and Wales

The importance of school

garden projects:

• Increases educational

opportunities, enhancing

students’ future role in

community development and

allowing them to gain a deeper

appreciation of their culture;

• Encourages respect for the

environment, preservation of

health and quality of life;

• Serves as platforms to

enable first-hand learning

about local plants and their

traditional uses, an important

part of the Moroccan culture,

and the benefits of using

organic fruits and vegetables;

• Provides a source of fresh

organic vegetables (at Ibn

Abi Sofra), providing meals

to impoverished students and

their families.

For more about the work of GDF in North Africa

Documents

The Global Diversity Foundation