Kāpiti is invited to join the rest of the world in celebrating World Naked Gardening Day on May 7th.
Of course this day was started in the northern hemisphere where May temperatures are a touch warmer than here in Kāpiti but the forecast for Sunday the 7th is for a sunny day.
World Naked Gardening Day is an opportunity to pull weeds, plant flowers, and harvest vegetables while getting some sun where it doesn’t usually shine.
While you might get a little dirty, the intention is good, clean, fun in the sun, and a move towards becoming more comfortable in our skin with “non-sexual nudity.”
Inspired by World Naked Bike Ride events, Mark Storey (consulting editor for Nude & Natural magazine) and permaculturalist Jacob Gabriel founded World Naked Gardening Day as a project of Body Freedom Collaborative (BFC). Some of Storey’s other mischievous pranks are rooted in guerrilla gardening in urban environments.
Corky Stanton of Clothes Free International assisted Storey with web hosting and promotion of the project. Stanton also provided web hosting and promotion for World Naked Bike Ride from the beginning of the project.
The event is not intended to be a large gathering at any particular location, but something people can practice on their own time and at their own will, however they please. Storey notes in the New York Daily News that, “No particular organisation owns World Naked Gardening Day.”
The website acted as a seed for the concept, which has been left to grow organically on its own through participants providing the necessary nutrients in order for it to continue to grow.
The first annual World Naked Gardening Day event took place on September 10, 2005. In 2007, the event date was moved to the first Saturday in May where it still takes place to this day. The day before, International Permaculture Day, also takes place on the first Sunday of May.
Beyond the fact that the event is fitting to coincide with good weather, the objective was not to conflict with with the World Naked Bike Ride. Besides, spring is the ideal time of year to be in the garden anyway.
The event is intended to be non-political, and more about creating a positive body self-image.
“It’s not about exposing your body to other people,” said Stanton, in an interview with Today. “It’s about body acceptance and being one with nature on your own. We actually do these events in secluded areas.”
For more information on this event, please visit the website wngd.org/ or their like their page on Facebook Facebook.com/WNGD2005.
