1,2,3 Geveltuinen

I will let you in on a secret. Underneath the tiles in front of your house lies a whole other world. I am talking about a wonderland that waits to bring joy to your life. You don’t believe me? Then let me fill you in on a hobby, your Neighbors will adore you for! More importantly, I want to inform you about a relatively easy gain in life quality that might be just the right thing for you.

If you live in a metro area, chances are likely that you do not always have access to a garden for recreation. If you, like me, still value the occasional refuge into nature every now and then, you will also resort to the parks and nature reserves scattered around the city. But who said that nature and city will always exclude each other? The truth is: They don’t! Biologists agree, that Cities, despite the common association of being distant from nature, are home to a wide range of species to both plants and animals, which thrive exceptionally well in this relatively new habitat. Further, that there is a lot to gain by greening the city.

So why should we include nature within the city? Let me fill you in on some ecology 101, and you are in luck, because it doesn’t get any shorter than this. Many reasons for greening are accounted for in the concept of, what scientists describe as, ecosystem services. Researchers strongly advocate for the benefits that we are provided with by nature. Nature provides us with resources (“urban farming”), regulates our surroundings (“micro climate”, “disease control”) and brings cultural value by improving our well-being (“recreation”). Importantly, In order to obtain and benefit from nature around us, the health of our ecosystem is of vital importance. A healthy ecosystem depends on the amount of diversity (“biodiversity”) and more precisely, the amount of different species. Since this species diversity increases with the size of the ecosystem, what we really need is a large and well-connected ecosystem!
This has also been acknowledged by the municipality, that emphasizes the importance of ecological corridors, which connect larger green spaces throughout the city. Unfortunately, these ecological corridors are in very poor condition.

Luckily, there are easy ways in which we can take care of ourselves as well as our ecosystem. Many other communities and cities have already realized, that the inclusion of green is far from a distant dream. Also, the municipality, themselves at times a bit slow when it comes to implementation, welcomes citizens to take matters into their own hands. We need citizen participation! And here comes the secret as promised: The city of Den Haag grants you permission, to stir up the pavement in front of your house and plant your own flower bed (download manual)! Simply remove the tiles closest to the wall of your home, stack some vertically to create a small boundary, remove gravel and fill with soil. Now you can plant herbs for your kitchen or flowers to gift your friends. So Yes! there are many benefits, along the admiration of your neighbors, for you to gain while providing for others. Dig it?

Citizen Involvement wanted: without Citizens’ knowledge?

The streets in the city of Leiden, can be quite beautiful, yet one can’t help but notice that most streets you walk down are barren of any natural greenery. A city that naturally has plenty of rainwater to sustain plant life without the use of artificial watering devices, somehow is devoid of lush greenery. How can this be? The all-encompassing tiling that has been laid out all throughout the city has prevented any plant life from forming naturally. Sure, there may be trees here and there, encircled by bricks, yet thriving gardens, and green walkways are far from being seen.

Let’s take a look at one of Leiden’s most ‘green’ streets : “de groenesteeg” (pictured above): even a street that is named the green street, and is well known for being filled with plant-life, fails to have even one full yard of open earth surface. There may be many pots and other plant carriers, placed on top of the tiled surface: but where is the connection to the earth underneath? In Leiden’s Agenda for 2030 sustainability goals, the municipality clearly states that they’d like to push citizen participation in improving biodiversity within the city. In the past year, they have already introduced subsidies to reimburse and financially support residents with un-tiling their front gardens, replacing the tiles with a green, flora filled garden. Measures have already been taken to encourage resident participation in improving biodiversity in the city. But, how effective have these measures been thus far? I decided to get hands-on and investigate how the residents themselves experience the municipalities attempts at increasing biodiversity, by going through the streets of Leiden city, and knocking on residents’ doorbells. The conversations I had with the locals themselves, opened my eyes to quite a number of things regarding this subject. Not only concerning the resident’s awareness of the cities agenda, but also how the residents themselves feel about biodiversity loss, green spaces, and un-tiling their front gardens.

 

Let’s begin with the most discouraging insight: none of the residents that I interviewed knew that getting rid of the first 20 cm of tiles in front of their house was legal to do,  let alone that there are subsidies available for un-tiling their front gardens.

One woman around 60, living in the Uiterstegracht, stated that she had asked the government about 10 years ago, if she could un-tile the front of her house, to which they refused due to fear of the roots of plants destabilizing the tiles surrounding it. The municipality clearly had a different agenda 10 years ago, and yet nothing seems to have been done to inform citizens of their new views on what is encouraged, allowed, and no longer condemned. This woman clearly wished to un-tile her front garden, but has never done so due to thinking it was an illegal act.  When I informed her of the subsidies now available to encourage the re-greening of tiled areas, she was astonished. “Now I will definitely get the front of my house un-tiled”, she exclaimed, explaining that it not only is more convenient than having pots in front of her house, but also helps with water retention, preventing run-off. This woman was clearly knowledgeable about sustainability topics, and yet she was completely unaware of any of the municipalities endeavors regarding sustainability. And I dare say: that is truly a shame.

Indeed, not one of the residents I interviewed were aware of Leiden’s Sustainability Agenda. The good news is that once I informed them of Leiden’s agenda, all voiced their approval of Leiden’s plan to become more sustainable. So indeed, it seems that residents tend to be pro-sustainable actions when it comes to biodiversity and re-greening the city. The problem is, a lack of knowledge, and surprisingly, I have found, a lack of space for parking bikes. The two residents I interviewed who were pro-biodiversity yet would not un-tile the front of their houses even with help from a subsidy, said that it would deter them from being able to park their bikes in front of their house. Thus I think Leiden has overlooked two important aspects in their plan to encourage citizen involvement regarding biodiversity: the need for the citizens’ awareness, and solutions regarding bike parking.  

Lost Treasures

They used to be the pride and joy of many a farmer. Family gardens were plain without them and innumerable children have enjoyed their benefits: Orchards! And while J.K. Rowlings’ Weasley family still owns one, their numbers are dwindling even in the classic gardening nation, the United Kingdom, despite their enormous importance for regional and national biodiversity. In 2004 Natural England  set up a program¹ to research the extent, distribution, biodiversity and management of traditional orchards in England. The results were published in 2009. In six different orchards growing different fruits, the researchers and volunteers found almost 900 lichens, mosses and invertebrate species, some of them on the red list of endangered species. A similar study² taking place in 2004 on 2.2ha of orchards, found a staggering 1,800 species across the plant, fungi and animal kingdoms. This goes to show that orchards are hotspots for biodiversity, capable of supporting a wide range of wildlife, including BAP priority habitats and species as well as an array of nationally rare and scarce species.

source: Pippa Palmar, https://fruitforum.wordpress.com/2014/05/10/traditional-orchards-open-to-the-public/

But what is the reason for the dwindling of traditional family kept orchards? Apart from the obvious urbanisation eating up the garden space have we simply become too lazy? Working as a gardener in private gardens I keep hearing the same litany: Too much work, too little time, no space. Contrary to popular belief orchards can be very low in their maintenance. Indeed the less interference the more biodiversity can develop in it. It is not necessary to plant a single variety or even species of fruit. The more the merrier and divers! If space is your only problem, consider growing your fruit trees in espalier style! By pruning and training the trees to a two-dimensional shape they can be planted along walls or fences or even form a living-hedge themselves! Where there is a will there is a way so nothing needs to stand between you and your apple tree!

source: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/mar/28/growing-fruit-trees-dan-pearson

In Germany the orchard tradition is also well known and applied under the term ‘Streuobstwiese’ (falling-fruit-meadow). Even more natural and completely devoid of chemical pest control or fertilisers they play a vital role in preserving traditional fruit tree breeds³. While the official market offers around 60 types of apples, there are more than 3000 different species in Europe alone. Orchards are valuable reservoirs for the diversity of apple species and preservation of the gene-pool and excellent source of fresh and ecologic fruit. Since in Germany too, the gardens are getting smaller and the orchards fewer, municipalities frequently plant orchards on public grounds that need to be clear of buildings due to the city planning regulations.

This concept could be applied in the Netherlands as well. Plenty of space like the one next to our very own university building is left fallow, but no one ever seems to be thinking of creating an orchard. Why not plant a handful of fruit trees, leave a meadow under them and a couple of benches? Which student wouldn’t like some delightful, pesticide-free fruits free of charge? Relishing a study break under the apple tree would be so much more enjoyable than just standing on a dismal parking lot in front of the building wouldn’t it? Supporting biodiversity in all its aspects in front of a building in which students study biology and sustainable development seems like a reasonable thing to do. Reviving traditional Dutch breeds would enhance the local biodiversity, aesthetic appeal of the area and culinary benefits for students, staff and passerbys. We need to retrace our botanical heritage if we want to benefit in the future!

source: private photography

Orchards- a lost treasure worth bringing back!

1. Natural England Research Report NERR025:  http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/category/23034

2. The Traditional British Orchard:  http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/traditional-orchards/traditional-orchards.htm

3. ÖKOLOGIE DER STREUOBSTWIESEN: http://www.schaetzle-family.de/?p=869

What you can do for a BiodiverCity!

Mostly cities get compared with biodiversity loss, disconnection from nature and many other negative comparisons. Nevertheless urban areas are still growing. At the moment over half of the global population is living in urban areas! However I believe that a city can be biodiverse and green!  A green city that sounds like a contradiction, don’t you think? Many cities proofed a greener city is possible! Think for example about all the Green Captial awarded cities of the European Union. These cities increased their biodiversity in the city as well. So why cant we do it? The most important factor in these cities are citizens. Citizens can be of mayor influence within cities and that is the reason for this blog. I will give you some tips how to help reaching our own BiodiverCity!

• Building shelters for animals.
  Many people want to close all the holes in their houses for isolation. In addition trees are not available in abundance. However these holes and trees can mean a lot for biodiversity. They can be homes for birds and bats. By building a home for these little creatures you can contribute to their habitat! Did you know that one little bat eats over 1000 mosquito’s and similar sized insects in one night? Building a bat house or a nesting box for birds  is not as difficult as you may think! Otherwise there are always tiles you can place on your roof! These tiles function the same way as these home build houses for wildlife.
• Green your garden!
  Many people got there garden full with tiles, little plants and tree variation. In addition many people like their gardens neat and tidy without leaves on the ground. However for biodiversity, this is not the best attitude. Remove a couple of tiles and plant a tree or some flowers! This creates more food for insects above and under the ground! In addition the rain water can get more absorbed into the soil. Another tip is to leave the fallen leaves on the soil. This creates a natural habitat for plenty of insects like wood louses, ants or worms. Wild About Gardens is website for more ideas how to make a wild life friendly garden.

• Start adopting green within your neighbourhood
  The last tip is to contribute within neighbourhood initiatives. Buurtgroen  is an initiative in the Netherlands. Neighbourhoods can adopt public spaces to implement for example more greens.  If you have a green neglected space in the neighbourhood try to ask around if others want to involve as well! At the end it is also about creating awareness and try to educate others. Would it not be wonderful if you have an adopted green in the neighbourhood full with edible plants and trees and rich of insects?

With these simple tips, we as citizens can help the city creating a more diverse environment. I am aware that the list is not exclusive however these are just simple things you can do at home! There are even more things you can do. This link will even lead you to 52 more tips how to increase biodiversity! So why not give it a try?

Biodiversity or City?

Mention the word biodiversity and most people will automatically imagine a wild habitat unaffected by human influence, something like this:

These people wouldn’t probably think about the biodiversity at the doorstep, or even the micro-organisms living on the balcony.

In the age where urbanisation is an ever expanding process (shown here), focusing on the biodiversity in city landscapes is a vital process as nature is shown to have a positive effect on human health, both physically and and psychologically. This also seems like on of the few ways to still keep the city inhabitants in contact with nature on a more regular basis.

A major challenge in increasing biodiversity in urban areas is the dynamics between humans and these organisms. As a desert is a very dry and nutrient-poor environment, so is the city a harsh environment for species populations to stabilize due to the pressure we exert on them. This leads to the selection of certain species who can adapt and thrive in such an environment. Take for example the pigeons (more specifically the rock pigeon): these birds used to live and mate around cliffs, and with the surge of big and tall buildings in the city these pigeons could use this new ecosystem as their habitat. Not to mention the fact that there is an abundance of food in the city, which meant they could flourish leading to the current ‘plagues’ in cities all over the world.

The big catch to that is that other species who have more difficulty to survive are being pushed out of the city, which poses a threat on maintaining biodiversity. These organisms not only face threats of the human inhabitants but also the generalist species such as the pigeons, seagulls and rats. For organisms who find it difficult to survive in the city, there is a demand for a more subdued, stabilized habitat. This is where urban planning proves meaningful. The challenge is to construct parks and also keep these areas connected to provide enough space for these species to live and reproduce.

We also need to look at constructions which are being used by several organisms and find ways to optimize these for their users. A good example of this is the starling, which is currently under threat in Leiden not only because of bird predators and domestic cats, but also due to the fact that holes in old buildings are being closed more frequently and new buildings are constructed more tightly. With this starlings are under threat and they don’t have a safe space to hide. A simple countermeasure to this trend is simply to provide a safe space for these birds.

The city needs to become more than a hub for human housing and interaction, it needs to become a hub for other wildlife as well. An ecosystem is ‘healthy’ when there are a lot of different species so it can take some blows without getting KOed. And even though cities were originally built with only humans in mind, the fact remains that we need nature closer to us and nature is at the doorstep, we only have to make it feel welcome at home.

 

Our Area Study Blog

In January 2016, students from the course “Area study: Sustainable Leiden 2030?” will be working in groups to assess the Duurzaamheidsagenda 2016-2020 – an ambitious document full of initiatives that will turn Leiden into a sustainable city by 2030. This course is part of the Minor Sustainable Development, provided by the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) at Leiden University.

As part of the course, the students will contribute to this blog and write about their findings around the initiatives for each of the themes (biodiversity, climate adaptation, energy, mobility, sustainable business and waste), or other relevant observations and findings throughout the course.