This year, Trees for All will be planting a total of 54,950 trees at various locations in Limburg. The project involves creating forests and restoring ‘graften’ (terraced landscape features).
We will be working on greening the province of Limburg in cooperation with Staatsbosbeheer. The project involves several plots spread all over Limburg, in the districts of Peel en Maas, Venray, Horst aan de Maas, Venlo and Gulpen-Wittem. It concerns 13.4 hectares in total, divided over plots ranging from 0.5 to 2 hectares in size.
The new forests will be created in North Limburg and Middle Limburg. 12.4 hectares of forest will be divided over 16 different plots. These plots consist mainly of former agricultural land now covered in grass. Different types of tree will be planted, in order to promote biodiversity. Another major reason for planting these forests is the sequestration of carbon.
In South Limburg, ‘graften’ (terraced landscape features) will be restored by planting trees. These ‘graften’ add to the quality of the landscape and identity of South Limburg, promote biodiversity and counter erosion from the slopes. In total, it involves 1 hectare, spread over 7 plots that lie close to one another.
The trees and shrubs to be planted in the new forests will include common alder, downy birch, European white birch, poplar, maple, English oak, sessile oak, lime, beech, European hornbeam, sweet chestnut, walnut and sweet cherry. In restoring the ‘graften’, special bush-forming shrubs will be planted along the edges of the woods, because of the transition to open landscape. These shrubs include European filbert, hawthorn, native bird cherry, rowan, winged spindle, briar, guelder rose, European white elm and hedge maple.
A ‘graft’ is a kink or mini-terrace on a slope, usually covered with bushes. ‘Graften’ are found on deforested slopes, which are now in use as fields or meadows. ‘Graften’ originated through a combination of human activity and natural processes. Before the invention of barbed wire around 1880, farmers in the hill country of South Limburg planted dense hedges around their meadows to stop their livestock escaping. In these hedges, there were also bigger trees and shrubs. However, ‘graften’ are not always property boundaries. Nowadays, they are often situated in the middle of a plot of land.
In the province of Limburg, we are going to plant a total of 13.4 hectares of forest over 23 plots
The Netherlands is already a beautiful, green country. Yet Trees for All aims to create a lot more woodland, and cooperates closely with Staatsbosbeheer and other landowners on achieving this goal. More woodland is crucial in our fight to attain our climate goals. Not only do trees capture carbon, but they are also good for the biodiversity of the Netherlands and they serve a recreational purpose, allowing people to experience nature. By donating trees, you help us make the Netherlands a greener and healthier place. The selection of our forestry projects in the Netherlands is based on various quality criteria. If you would like more information, take a look at our principles.