"Glass-bound Forest Sanctuaries: 'Forest in a Jar' Workshops in Bielsko-Biała"
On a warm summer's day, July 23, 2025, the Senior Center in Bielsko-Biała played host to a unique event - the "Forest in a Jar" workshop. The workshop, part of the larger "Green Pulse of Silesia" project, aimed to provide a close encounter with nature on a micro scale.
Twelve participants, eleven of whom were women and one a man, gathered to learn the art of creating self-sustaining ecosystems. Over the course of the workshop, they crafted their own miniature forests enclosed in glass containers.
The finished ecosystems, now adorning homes across the city, serve not only as aesthetic decorations but also as reminders of the beauty and fragility of nature. Each participant left with their own jarred forest - twelve finished ecosystems in total.
The process of creating these terrariums taught participants about mindfulness and care for the environment. By carefully preparing soil, planting greenery, arranging layers, and creating compositions, participants learned the importance of slow, attentive care for these contained ecosystems.
These tiny forests, requiring only minimal maintenance, function for years without watering. This aspect of the workshop illustrated the delicate balance of ecosystems and the importance of stewardship for forest preservation.
The "Forest in a Jar" workshop provided a warm and friendly atmosphere, fostering a deeper connection to nature. Through this hands-on experience, participants not only pleasantly adorned their homes but also learned valuable lessons about environmental responsibility.
This educational activity, while not widely documented, is a common practice in environmental education centres like Westmoor Park, which focus on fostering lifelong environmental awareness and stewardship through interactive natural experiences.
In conclusion, the "Forest in a Jar" workshop uses the process of building and tending to miniature forest terrariums to teach mindfulness through focused care and to promote environmental responsibility by symbolizing the fragile ecosystems of real forests.
The newly acquired miniature forests, now placed in homes as decorative pieces, serve as ongoing reminders of the beauty and fragility of nature, emphasizing a lifestyle advocating for nature preservation. With the "Forest in a Jar" workshop, one can seamlessly integrate home-and-garden activities, such as gardening, into their daily lives, fostering an awareness of the importance of environmental stewardship.
