Since 2020 Trees for All, together with ARK Rewilding Nederland, has planted new loamy ground forest in Groene Woud in Noord-Brabant. Together we work on enlarging these rare forests, which are home to all sorts of unique pants and animals. Will you take part?
trees will be planted
tree and shrub species
planting period
Between Tilburg, Eindhoven and Den Bosch, Het Groene Woud is situated: a magnificent natural resource with moorland, swamp, meres and loamy ground forests. These loamy ground forests are very rare. Because of their moist subsoil they are home to all sorts of specific plants and animals, such as birds, butterflies and mammals. This unique biodiversity we would like to keep and reinforce!
We do this by planting new forest and connecting existing nature reserves. That way we reinforce existing nature and extend the habitat of all species of plant and animal already occurring in Het Groene Woud. The forest will also attract new plants and animals. This could mean rare butterflies, such as the checkered skipper or the white admiral. Birds and animals such as the tree frog, the red-backed shrike, the wild cat, the otter and the black stork will feel utterly at home in Het Groene Woud.
ARK Nature, our project partner, came up with a special and well-considered plan for restoring loamy ground forests. This plan combines the best of two measures: on the one hand we plant new forest in order to extend loamy ground forests, on the other we look at what nature comes up spontaneously in the area. The latter we also refer to as natural regeneration. A unique approach we eagerly support from Trees for All.
This policy requires much knowledge of the area, patience and attention. For that reason we are happy with our long-term co-operation with ARK Foundation. Together we will be able to share our knowledge and follow developments in years to come.
The new plants and shrubs we will plant on former agricultural grounds. This concerns indigenous species of trees and shrubs which are characteristic for loamy ground forests, such as common hornbeam, small-leaved lime and large-leaved lime, fluttering elm, thicket dog rose and common dogwood.
Since 2020, we’ve been planting new loam forests in Het Groene Woud, in North Brabant, in partnership with ARK Nature. Together, we’re expanding these scarce forests, which are home to numerous species of plant and animal. And we’re already seeing the positive results of the project!…
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Does Trees for All plant the correct trees? And how do we know we do the right thing? In 2022, news website NU.nl published the item ‘We plant the wrong trees in massive numbers’. In 2023 it was followed by a new…
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We will plant the trees in parcels all over The Groene Woud: from De Geelders near Boxtel to the valley of the river Dommel near Son en Breugel. This ensures that the coherence between existing forest and nature reserves is restored, strengthened and extended.
Within this project we work together with ARK Nature. ARK realizes robust nature reserves, in which nature is allowed to mind her own business as much as possible. This renders a rich variety in landscapes, plants and animals. In order to achieve this, ARK in turn works together with various parties, such as provinces, municipalities, farmers, water authorities, ground managers and local networks.
“De Geelders and the neighbouring wet forests in Het Groene Woud are some of the most exceptional hotspots for biodiversity in the Dutch countryside. This large-scale planting project will create resilient, robust nature areas with high levels of biodiversity, which can also withstand climate change.”
— Ger van den Oetelaar, ARK Nature
