Together with our partners Staatsbosbeheer and het Buitenfonds, we are planting almost 16,000 trees in Reutum, a village in Twente. Grasslands are making way for a new forest that will flourish. Plant with us and help make the Netherlands even greener!
trees and shrubs
hectares
period of planting
The world needs more forest. And so does the Netherlands. The Dutch government aims to create 37,000 hectares of new forest in the Netherlands before 2030. The goal of this Forest Strategy is to improve the quality of our existing forests and expand the amount of forest in the Netherlands further. Trees for All is more than happy to contribute to this goal!
The benefits of trees are infinite. They store CO2 and capture carbon and particulate matter. They also provide water, clean air, oxygen and food and function as the habitat of numerous plants and animals. So, an increase of forests leads to improved biodiversity. This is how trees help to create a green and healthy living environment for everyone.
Examples of animals that benefit from an increase of forests are (from left to right): squirrels, wood owls, deer, European pine martens, the stag beetle, fire salamanders and wood peckers.
In total, we will plant 15,733 trees and shrubs in Reutum. This way, we create 3,5 hectares of new forest, which adds up to over 5 football fields.
We plant various indigenous species of trees and shrubs to make sure that the forest will be diverse. This is important, because a forest with a diverse range of species is better protected against droughts, diseases or plagues than a forest that contains only one or a few species. If one species experiences difficulty in a diverse forest, the other trees will keep the forest alive. We also plant indigenous species of trees that are not currently present in this area, but that do belong here.
By the way, a diverse forest comes with another important benefit: it is good for biodiversity reasons. Diverse forests attract different types of plants and animals. Think of birds, mammals or fungi and even insects such as bees and butterflies. We need the latter for the pollination of our plants and flowers.
In Reutum, we plant trees such as hornbeam, sweet cherry and downy birch. The species of shrubs you will find in this forest in the future are for example: bay willow, osier and briar. These are indigenous trees and shrubs that are a natural fit for the Dutch landscape. Thus, they are an appropriate choice for this area. This is how a strong and healthy forest will grow that can handle potential difficult times in the future.
From left to right: briar, downy birch, osier and hornbeam.
We plant trees on former grasslands in Reutum, a village in Overijssel. This province is already known for a few beautiful natural parks. By planting more forests, we also strengthen existing nature.
Strengthening and expanding forests in the Netherlands
Creating strong nature that is resistant against (the consequences of) climate change
Maintaining, strengthening and expanding biodiversity (the number of different species of plants and animals)
Strengthening of Dutch landscapes
For this project, we work together with Staatsbosbeheer and het Buitenfonds (the support foundation of Staatsbosbeheer). Together with these partners, we plant new forest in three other locations throughout the Netherlands during the winter of 2022-2023. We do this in Dalerpeel (Drenthe), Leersum (Utrecht) and Groote Peel (North-Brabant). Will you help us to make these projects into a success? Every tree counts!
