A
Agriculture - the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops.
Air Pollution - a contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.
B
Biodiversity - the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
Berries - a small roundish juicy fruit without a stone.
C
Carbon sequestration - The process of drawing down carbon dioxide into the soil. This is one method of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere with the goal of reducing global climate change.
Champions - supporting a cause through donations, private giving, memberships, or sponsorships.
Climate - the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.
Climate Change - change in average conditions (?), such as temperature and rainfall, brought on by humans producing greenhouse gasses and pollution.
Compost - decayed organic material used as a soil conditioner.
Connectors - glue that holds everything together.
D
E
Earth - the only home all life has.
Ecology - the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.
Erosion - general wearing down and molding of landforms on the Earth’s surface.
F
Fertilizer - a chemical or natural substance added to soil or land to increase its fertility.
Food - any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink or that plants absorb in order to maintain life and growth.
Fruit - the sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains seed and can be eaten as food.
Fruitful Community - a neighborhood, city, or county that has financially and organizationally committed to the conversion of the majority of public land to Productive Urban Landscapes.
Fruitful Library - a library whose landscape feeds the community’s people and wildlife.
G
Grower - Growers spend their days weeding pollinator gardens, trimming bushes and trees, and harvesting fruit and nuts for the public.
H
I
J
K
L
Landscaping - Purposeful nature (often around buildings).
Land stewardship - the conservation of your property’s natural resources and features over a long period of time.
Leaders - those with decision-making power to move forward the Fruitful Communities Initiative forward.
M
Mow and blow - of or relating to a quick, cheap, rudimentary lawn care service in which one cuts the grass, blows the clippings away with a leaf-blower, and then departs.
N
Native Plants - a plant that has been here long enough to evolve to support insect and animal life and other plants in their ecosystem.
Noise Pollution - unwanted or excessive sound that can have harmful effects on human health, wildlife, and environmental quality.
No Mow Monday - to allow the earth to rest by not using lawn mowers or leaf blowers on Mondays.
O
P
Particulate Matter - contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems.
Perennials - plants that can live for three or more growing seasons.
Permaculture - an approach to land management and settlement design that tries to mimic flourishing natural systems.
Policy - a law, regulation, procedure, administrative action, incentive, or voluntary practice of governments and other institutions.
Productive Urban Landscape - places that use natural processes to minimize work and inputs and maximize everything that makes nature great. Dynamic landscapes that integrate some elements of traditional landscaping (like organized planting patterns and areas to sit, eat, and play), but bring in elements of the natural world (like biodiversity, pollinator habitats, etc.) and plants that provide us with food (like veggies, berries, and fruit trees).
Q
R
Roots - the part of a plant which attaches it to the ground or to a support, typically underground, conveying water and nourishment to the rest of the plant via numerous branches and fibers.
Roots Down - a company that grows Fruitful Communities by teaching local governments how to turn unused lawn around libraries, schools, parks, and community centers into food forests and pollinator gardens that fight climate change, feed people, and grow green jobs.
S
Soil - the upper layer of earth in which plants grow, a black or dark brown material typically consisting of a mixture or organic remains, clay, and rock particles.
Storyteller - anyone who likes to bring other worlds into being.
T
U
Urban Agriculture - agriculture in urban areas.
V
Vegetables - a plant or part of a plant used as food.
W
Water Pollution - the contamination of water sources by substances which make the water unusable for drinking, cooking, cleaning, swimming, and other activities.
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