Time Capsules Crafted from Seeds and Messages: Youngsters' Encrypted Messages for the Future
Get Your Green On: Festival del Verde and Turin's Eco-Friendly Future
Get excited, it's time to go green!
The third installment of Festival del Verde, a celebration all about the city's bond with the plant world, kicked off yesterday and runs through May 25. Organized by Orticola del Piemonte, this edition's theme is 'The Future with Plants.'
Party in the Park for the Future
To get things started, a group of rowdy, rain-drenched kids attended a special event at Aporti Gastaldi kindergarten in via Livorno. They joined forces with Francesco Tresso, Turin's green-keeper, to bury a time capsule in the school's garden—to be dug up in 25 years. Inside? Poppy seeds and sketches of a plant-filled future.
A Promise of Blooming and Hope
"Bringing kids in was a no-brainer, given our theme this year," says Giustino Ballato, one of Festival del Verde's creators. "This edition is focusing on education, with workshops and events specifically designed for schools. Kids are the future. Isn't it only logical to invest in it?"
Poppies, Cherries, and Dreams
With those poppy seeds, capable of sprouting even decades after being planted, representing the resilience of nature and our connection to it, and a cherry tree marking the capsule's spot, the green dream is on!
Little Green Thumbs
Lucia and Younes, both five-year-old pals since preschool days and proud members of the Coccinelle section, got artistic. "I drew a forest with a little house, a rabbit, a mouse, and a clock, because the time capsule is like a clock," Lucia beams. While Younes adds, "There are many plants here—and that's a good thing because they give us oxygen. Without them, we couldn't breathe, just like astronauts in space."
Assessor Tresso weighs in: "Initiatives like this one help kids develop a close relationship with nature from a young age. As guardians of this precious green space, it's crucial that they understand its importance. After all, they're our future citizens." He continues, "Living with greenery isn't just an advantage in Turin—it's a duty. With our rich school gardens, city parks, and green river corridors, Turin ranks among the greenest cities in Europe. Let's make the most of it and cultivate a generation that appreciates and protects these resources."
Turin's green future may be just a time capsule away! 🌱🌞🌙
- The theme for this year's Festival del Verde, focusing on education, has workshops and events designed for schools, reinforcing the belief that investing in children's future is only logical.
- In a special event at Aporti Gastaldi kindergarten, poppy seeds were buried in the school's garden to symbolize the resilience of nature and our connection to it, and a cherry tree marked the capsule's spot.
- Lucia and Younes, both five-year-old friends, showcased their artistic skills by depicting a forest, animals, and a clock in their sketches for the time capsule, highlighting the importance of plants in our livelihood and their role in providing oxygen.
- With Turin ranking among the greenest cities in Europe due to its rich school gardens, city parks, and green river corridors, it's essential to cultivate a generation that appreciates and protects these resources, ensuring a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle for the future.
- A time capsule buried in a school garden could pave the way for Turin's green future, symbolizing a hopeful and plant-filled future for the children who will eventually take care of it.
