Distribution of Small Box Gardens and Forest Healing Kits to 200 Welfare Households and 100 Self-Quarantine Households... Providing Urban Agriculture and Forest Experience Opportunities to Prevent COVID-19 Blues and Promote Emotional Stability
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) has distributed small box gardens and forest healing kits to residents exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
This initiative aims to provide opportunities for urban agriculture and forest experiences to welfare recipients such as low-income elderly living alone, grandparent-grandchild households, and those in self-quarantine who find it difficult to go out due to social distancing measures caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, thereby preventing COVID blues and promoting emotional stability.
The distributed box gardens are small-sized, measuring 30cm in width, 10cm in length, and 11cm in height, making them easy to store and manage indoors.
They also include soil and seeds, allowing users to easily experience the entire process from sowing to harvesting by themselves.
Additionally, the forest healing kits contain items such as scented petal sachets for meditation or brewing as tea, fabric markers for drawing plant pictures to achieve mental calmness, and handkerchiefs, helping users to experience the forest indirectly.
A total of 500 sets were distributed: forest healing kits to 100 self-quarantined individuals, and one set each of small box gardens and forest healing kits to 200 welfare households.
An elderly recipient of the small box garden and healing kit said, “It’s difficult to go outside because of COVID-19, so I’m happy to receive a box garden that I can easily manage at home. I will carefully nurture it as a hobby,” expressing gratitude.
Meanwhile, in May, the district distributed over 1,600 box gardens and has been conducting “Dreaming Box Garden Education” every Tuesday and Friday at Gwanak Urban Agriculture Park (142 Gwangsin-gil) for beginners. This effort aims to enhance the vitality of residents through the spread of the value of urban agriculture amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
Park Jun-hee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, said, “Many single-person households at risk of lonely death may be feeling depressed due to COVID-19. I hope they can soothe their tired minds by smelling the scent of soil and nature at home,” adding, “We will continue to generously support various urban agriculture activities and accelerate the revitalization of urban agriculture so that all residents can achieve mental healing through urban agriculture.”
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