Beammen foar Elkenien (that’s Frisian for ‘Trees for All’)! On Tree Planting Day, March 17, Trees for All renovated a dilapidated orchard in Eastrum, near Dokkum, by planting 1,800 trees. With new species such as black alder, gray willow, rowan, European bird cherry, blackthorn and guelder rose, the orchard will become more diverse. That’s good news for birds and insects, and biodiversity will improve considerably as a result. The board of The Green Dream Foundation and volunteers from MVRDV helped with the planting.
The Green Dream Foundation was initiated in 2021 by MVRDV and supports various initiatives focused on sustainability. Trees for All was the first initiative to receive a donation of €50,000.
Trees for All is committed to improving the Frisian landscape and works together with the Frisian Environmental Federation and Landscape Management Friesland. Events such as Tree Planting Day also encourage people to do something for the climate themselves, while motivating landowners to help preserve the environmental quality of Friesland. 30 landowners have already indicated that they want to participate in the initiatives started by Trees for All. The ambition for 2024 is to plant a total of 20 hectares of trees, with the help of dozens of volunteers.
“Thanks to Trees for All, the Frisian landscape is becoming more biodiverse”, says Marieke Rietbergen, chairperson of The Green Dream Foundation. “In addition, we find it very important to restore lost landscape elements. We want to get landowners and volunteers enthusiastic about planting. Even small-scale planting can help improve the natural network. It’s great to spend a day here and get our hands dirty for a better environment.”
The Green Dream Foundation was founded with the aim of realising a more sustainable architectural practice. MVRDV is the first major architectural firm to commit to making an annual financial contribution to the foundation. The aim is to inspire other firms and designers from the creative industry to participate in the foundation. If forces are combined, this increases the impact of sustainability efforts.
More information about The Green Dream Foundation’s projects is available here: https://www.thegreendream.nl/projects/