Education

Tiny Forest

A Tiny Forest is a dense, native forest the size of a tennis court or smaller. This forest is a pleasant place for butterflies, birds, bees and small mammals, and people alike. Children learn about nature in this ‘outdoor classroom’ and local residents meet each other in a pleasant and healthy place. Other names for these compact forest spaces are Petite Forests and Pocket Forests and are based on the Japanese Miyawaki technique.

Tiny Forest is a method of restoring natural, mixed and native forests, and translating them into an urban environment.

Green schoolyard

Research among schools shows that the educational opportunities of greenery in particular are seen as one of the most important benefits. Passing on the value of nature and care for our planet are also considered important.

A green school environment offers schools an excellent opportunity to connect to the curriculum. There are many working methods for biology lessons and for nature and environmental education. Care for nature can also be developed, for example by allowing children to maintain a green space, including watering, pruning and picking.

A water element gives the opportunity to focus on water as a theme. Contemplate the role of water in nature and the effects of climate change which include increasing both dry periods and heavy rainfall. How can we use water differently to ensure that we are less affected by flooding? These themes are in line with the policy of many provinces, municipalities and water boards. Subsidies are often available for greening schoolyards to introduce these themes to youngsters.

By making green schoolyards accessible to local residents outside school hours, more opportunities are created to involve the neighbourhood in the school. Conversely, pupils can also be involved in the greening of the neighbourhood in teaching programmes.

Outdoor Laboratories

There are several ways to combat heat stress, one of the most effective of which is green infrastructure with trees. The tree architecture (trunk shape, branch structure, crown shape and leaf characteristics) plays a role in this. Many investigations are underway.

Provide schools and educational institutions space to involve the local community in climate projects. Working with pupils and students can generate new ideas and increase young people’s involvement for the future.

Kitchen garden

A vegetable garden near the school can be used for educational purposes, for example as a classroom and teaching materials (if the products are used for a restaurant or in lessons). This is in line with a healthy school with a focus on healthy food.

The vegetable garden is an ideal place for young and old to learn more about caring for and growing herbs, vegetables and fruits, as well as the interrelationships between soil, plants and animals. In addition to the cultivation of edible crops, chickens could also be kept.

Learning about circularity can be done by collecting rainwater for reuse, and composting food and garden waste. A communal vegetable garden encourages collaboration.

Transfer of green knowledge

A living environment provides opportunities to learn about plants and animals. Information signs and educational activities in a park or public garden and along roads (on verges) are good examples.

Companies and municipalities that are working with greenery in an innovative way for sustainable processes, climate resilience or biodiversity can convey this to their employees, visitors and local residents through education. Such initiatives contribute to a sustainable image.

Sidewalk plants

Many municipalities no longer use herbicides to remove weeds from sidewalks and paved areas or on the street. This has been seen in the Netherlands since 2016. Wild pavement plants, which grow naturally in the city, may serve as a food source for pollinators and birds. They are also highly resistant to harsh climates.

Botanical graffiti is all the rage in France, England and now also in the Netherlands. Writing botanical names for plants in chalk on the sidewalk is a great way to point out the plants to passers-by and teach them plant names in a fun way. People get an interesting new perspective on their own environment of what grows and blooms, and it helps children to have fun recognising plants.

Outdoor Art

Art and nature have gone hand in hand for centuries. Experiencing art in the outdoor space is different, whether in a highly urban environment or on the water or in a park.

Cultural-historical awareness

The living heritage in country estates, heritage parks and cemeteries often have historically interesting plantings, such as ‘forgotten’ fruit trees and vegetables, foliage corridors, naturalised vegetation (Stinzen) and container plant collections. The planting often narrates something about the history of the location. For the preservation of this valuable greenery, it is advisable to engage a heritage gardener.

Remembrance

It’s not just their imposing appearance or size that can make trees famous. The fame can also be closely related to events that took place near a tree, such as the Anne Frank tree or ‘the tree that saw everything’ (Bijlmer disaster, 1992). These trees tell about history: about what the world used to look like and what happened then.

There are many good reasons to plant a tree or even an entire forest. In addition to reflecting on disasters, we also reflect on festive occasions, such as the birth of a child, a heroic act or the opening of a location. Planting a tree is a memorable moment. Get many people involved to forge a bond.

In this way, we create a green future and a tree or forest to always return to.

Awareness of a significant tree in the (wide) environment serves to protect this tree. Many countries have regulations in place to protect historically important trees. In the Netherlands, if the tree is older than eighty years and special, it can be included in the National Register of Monumental Trees of the Tree Foundation (www.monumentalebomen.nl).