From Books to Beds: A Library-Garden Collaboration for Sustainable Living
The Local Challenge
Since 2018, the EUI ORTO community garden has flourished as a no-dig permaculture space, tended by more than 100 members of the European University Institute’s international community. It has provided food, learning, and connection in an otherwise transient academic setting. But changes in rental conditions now force relocation. The move threatens both ecological value and the sense of belonging the garden has nurtured. Many members wish to help but lack gardening confidence and knowledge. With support from the EUI Library, this challenge becomes an opportunity: to preserve the garden, expand its role, and integrate it as a civic learning space.
The Initiative
The EUI Library and ORTO community are co-creating a new permaculture garden alongside a “green corner” in the library, offering seeds, herbs, and practical resources. Together, they host workshops, talks, and hands-on sessions on composting, pollinator-friendly planting, and sustainable food practices. Activities involve students, staff, families, and children from the crèche, while also welcoming asylum seekers through the EUI Refugee Initiative. The library supports with outreach, digital and print resources, and dedicated space, while the garden group contributes ecological expertise. A practical handbook documenting methods and community practices ensure the model can be replicated elsewhere.
What’s Next?
The new garden will become both a living classroom and a hub for community wellbeing. Participants will learn sustainable gardening skills, reduce isolation, and build meaningful connections across academic and social divides. Environmentally, the project promotes biodiversity, improves soil health, and reduces emissions through local food use. Socially, it fosters a sense of belonging in a transient community and strengthens ties with local associations such as the Distretto Biologico di Fiesole. The EUI Library’s role will evolve from a knowledge provider into an active sustainability ally, embedding environmental awareness and resilience into daily campus life for years to come.
Contact theeuropechallenge@culturalfoundation.eu if you have any questions or want to be connected with the team behind the project.
