Our proposal for the Jerwood Open Forests competition 2017 was a process – human and arboreal. We suggested forging a small community of people: Assartists. The aim of this community was the nurture of trees.

1. The assartists are assembled. We proposed an open invitation – but there are other possibilities.
2. The site is cleared of trees.
3. The assartists build a cabin using timber arising from the site clearance. Excess timber is stockpiled for use as fuel later.
4. The assartists collect seeds from local trees, germinate, sow, and tend.
5. The assartists will take care of the trees as they grow.
6. The Assartists will gain the right to stay in the cabin on a time share basis in return for their work on the project – clearing, building, nurturing.

The resources that we planned to tap into were human and natural and all of the site.