Leidschendam – Last Saturday 25 September it was very busy in the park on the Hannie Schaftstraat in Leidschendam. A dozen neighbors were busy installing a large bee hotel and clearing and sowing a flower meadow. Others were playing shuffleboard or playing table tennis or badminton.
This was not entirely coincidental, because Saturday was Neighbors Day. And then social and green activities take place all over the country at neighborhood level. A green activity was chosen on the Hannie Schaftstraat.
Initiator Miranda Loen had prepared this initiative with a working group: ”I am a big proponent of creating ‘more green’ and contributing to our own living environment. Unfortunately, the bee and insect populations have decreased enormously. And that is very bad for biodiversity. That is why I am also enthusiastic about initiatives such as mowing verges later and differently, and of flower-filled gardens and nature-friendly banks. Neighbors Day seemed an ideal opportunity to contribute to more nature in our neighbourhood, together with the neighbors and with a subsidy, by realizing a flower meadow with an insect hotel in the little flowery municipal park in front of the door.”
Initiator Miranda van Loen at the bee hotel Hannie Bee (photo: pr).
Naturally, such a project costs money and permission is also required from the municipality and the Delfland Water Board. Miranda: “The collaboration with the municipality went very well. There had already been extensive contact last year about the nature-friendly bank along the park here. Now the thread could be picked up again. There was constructive thinking along with us and permission was quickly granted by the municipality and Delfland. Both Vlietwensen and the Oranjefonds have also made budgets available for the implementation of the plan. We are very happy with this.”
Working group member Sander Wennekers agrees: “We will be doing the maintenance of the flower meadow and insect hotel ourselves. In any case, a flower meadow needs to be mowed every now and then. In drought, spraying may be necessary. And in the future we may have to re-sow or re-plant. A garden committee with interested neighbors will be set up for this purpose. In order to arrange this properly, a request has now been submitted to the municipality to be allowed to adopt the piece of municipal green. We expect this to be settled shortly.”
Miranda continues: ”I like how the idea spread like an oil slick through our neighborhood and rolled out into a plan supported by 13 households with a lot of fun input in all kinds of areas. Even before the start of the project, the contacts among local residents revived enormously.”
At the neighborhood drink, which was held at the end, there was great enthusiasm among the participants. There was even talk of a new project to make this neighborhood greener next year.
