Volunteer
Abundance Edinburgh is a project that depends upon the enthusiasm and energy of volunteers. We’re always looking to bring more people in to the project, and there are roles to suit all ages. If you’d like to join in please contact us using the address at the bottom of the page.
- fruit pickers
- tree owners
- tree climbers
- fruit mules
- jammers and preservers
- fruit cookers
- community contacts
- volunteer co-ordinators
- fruit distributers
- fruit eaters!
From the first contact we make with the tree owner to the harvest in the autumn there are many jobs to be done. We often start by flyering our neighbourhood to find interested people – each person who responds is assigned a contact they can speak to, usually someone who lives nearby. From that point on we rely on the tree owner and community contact to keep us updated on the progress of the fruit.
When the fruit is ready we send a small group of pickers. One person to pick the fruit and climb the tree if neccessary, another to collect or catch the apples. The third person is usually someone who the tree owner knows, and is in charge of documenting the process – it usually a lot of fun for everyone involved so it is nice to have some photos.
The tree owner takes the first pick of the harvest, and there is usually enough fruit available for volunteers to go home with some fresh fruit and perhaps a glass of two of juice! After the fruit has been divvied up there is usually still plenty left over for it to go into storage for distribution to community groups or shops at a later date.
