Asibara Forest

17/06/2025

Detroiters deserves a harvest festival that feels like home.
Last year, 400+ neighbors came out to celebrate at the 2nd Annual U-Pick Pumpkin Patch Party — this year, we’re growing even bigger.

From pumpkin picking to hot cider, bounce houses to face painting, we’re creating fall memories right in our city — where joy, tradition, and community belong.

But we can’t do it without you. Help us keep the festival free and accessible to all.

Donate today: https://givebutter.com/AsibaraForest

$10 = craft supplies
$25 = cider & donuts
$100 = pumpkins for the patch
$500+ = major festival support

Every dollar helps. Every gift plants joy.

Support Asibara Forest’s 3rd Annual U-Pick Pumpkin Patch Party! A free, family-friendly harvest festival in Detroit with pumpkins, games, food & fun on Oct 25th.

16/06/2025

Yesterday, we celebrated our Babas.

Unable to find a crafting project that reflected the ancestry and honor of having a present, loving Black father, we created our own.

In honor of Father's Day, our scholars decorated a beautiful keepsake inspired by the African philosophy of Ubuntu — *"I am because you are."*

Each piece was engraved with Adinkra symbols and affirmations:

EBAN (translation: "fence" — a symbol of safety & protection)
PROTECTED BY YOU, I RISE

NKYINKYIM (translation: "twisting" — a symbol of the challenges of life's journey)
GUIDED BY YOU, I BECOME

We honor our Babas — fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and father figures, past and present — who walk with us, lift us up, and pass on their strength, love, and legacy.

08/06/2025

Today one of my scholars accidentally pulled up an entire wild strawberry plant while trying to pick berries — but instead of frustration, it turned into the perfect hands-on learning opportunity!

We took a moment to talk about proper harvesting techniques, respect for living plants, and overall farm etiquette. Plus, I was able to snap some beautiful reference photos of the plant — roots and all! 🥰

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Fun Fact About Wild Strawberries!

Did you know? Wild strawberries (*Fragaria vesca*) are smaller than the ones you see in the store, but they’re packed with intense flavor. Unlike commercial varieties, wild strawberries often grow in shady woodland areas and spread through runners. Their seeds are on the *outside* of the fruit — and yes, they’re edible too!

02/06/2025

🧪🔬We Are All Scientists! 👨🏿‍🔬🥼
You can register your project here. Also, if you're interested in judging or you know a sponsor, this is the link.

https://learning.sankiatech.com/we-are-all-scientists-festival/

01/06/2025

Can't make it todays Sensory Sundays session? Looking for a fun, kid-friendly way to explore biomimicry through an African perspective? Check out this beautiful animated video by Super Sema—Africa’s STEM Superhero!

In this episode, Sema is solving a pollution issue inspired by the world's largest flying bird—and proving how we can solve real-world problems by observing the land around us.

Engaging music, storytelling, and African voices make this a perfect companion to our June theme.

▶️ Watch here

🔗 https://youtu.be/nE3Si5QM3wQ?feature=shared

Tobor is making a racket and polluting Dunia with his fuel-drenched HyperJet. Sema is disgusted. Taking inspiration from her science lesson on biomimicry, sh...

01/06/2025

June Sensory Sundays Theme: Biomimicry in Architecture & Engineering

Did you know? Nature has been designing efficient, resilient systems for billions of years—and now, architects and engineers are taking notes!

Here are some amazing ways nature is inspiring human design:

🐜 Termite Mounds → Eco Buildings
Termite mounds in Africa maintain constant internal temperatures without AC—architects mimicked this to design self-cooling buildings like the Eastgate Centre in Zimbabwe.

🦅 Kingfisher Beak → Bullet Trains
Japan’s Shinkansen trains were redesigned to mimic a kingfisher’s beak, reducing noise and improving speed when exiting tunnels.

Biomimicry isn't just copying nature—it's learning from it to build smarter, more sustainable futures.

Each Sunday this month at Asibara Forest, we’ll explore these ideas hands-on. From spider silk engineering to leaf-inspired solar design, kids and families will get curious about how nature builds to thrive.

31/05/2025

It's that time of year again!
Sign up for Sensory Sundays today!

This June, we're diving into sustainable architecture through the lens of biomimicry—discover how nature inspires innovative, eco-friendly design.

Don't miss out—join us for a month of hands-on exploration and creative discovery!

https://form.jotform.com/240711977314154

26/05/2025

Urban Forest School meets Asibara Forest

21/05/2025

Stop the Use of Chemical Herbicides at Hunt Park: Protect Our Community & Ecosystem

We, the undersigned residents, gardeners, parents, and community members, call on the City of Detroit and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to halt the planned herbicide applications at Hunt Park.

We are deeply concerned about the potential health, environmental, and agricultural impacts of using chemical herbicides like glyphosate and triclopyr near our homes, food gardens, and public gathering spaces. These chemicals are linked to health risks, including possible cancer and soil contamination, and may threaten our organic crops, local pollinator population and native American Toad habitat.

Every year, I welcome hundreds youth on my farm who play in Hunt Park and love to interact with the wildlife there, including American toads, native insects, a family of geese, a family of deer and many birds. These herbicide applications would harm their health, impact wildlife and reduce their access to natural play, an important component of youth development and learning.

What’s at Risk?

Our Health: Glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen (WHO, 2015) and is linked to liver/kidney damage and endocrine disruption.

Our Food: Drift and runoff from herbicide spraying may contaminate nearby gardens, threatening local crops, and animals.

Our Environment: These herbicides harm soil microbes, pollinators (like bees and butterflies), and aquatic ecosystems. Hunt Playground houses a natural wetland and has a thriving aquatic ecosystem that also serves as a watering hole for local animals.

We Support Safer Alternatives:
✔ Sheet mulching
✔ Hand-weeding with community volunteers
✔ Flame weeding
✔ Native groundcover restoration

We request the immediate suspension of herbicide use and ask that the city work with the community to explore safe, non-toxic alternatives for vegetation management.

Let’s Protect Hunt Park
Speak up! Contact our local officials to voice your concern. Together, we can keep our parks and gardens safe and chemical-free.

Councilman Scott Benson | [email protected] | (313) 224-1198

Director of Sustainability Tepfirah Rushdan | [email protected]

Director of Urban Agriculture Patrice Brown | [email protected]

Petition by:

Urban Farmer, Derrienne Reese | [email protected]

Stop the Use of Chemical Herbicides at Hunt Park: Protect Our Community & Ecosystem

19/05/2025

Custom Garden Stakes are available in wooden or light acrylic!