Trees becoming new “residents” of Stratosfeerstraat street in Dordrecht

Message: greenery and trees are important

For the project, the Trivire Neighbourhood Coordination department launched a campaign with the following message to residents: greenery and trees are important for wildlife and human habitats. The campaign is intended to make residents realise that trees and other greenery are important in terms of their health and enjoyment of where they live, whilst additionally protecting against waterlogging and heat stress. This goal ties in with the goals propagated by Dutch government nature management organisation Staatsbosbeheer, one of the project partners, which aims to garner more attention for trees in Dordrecht and the adjacent De Biesbosch nature reserve.

Fairytale about the new trees

Trivire, Dordrecht Buurtwerk community service and the Staatsbosbeheer forester commissioned an author to write a fairytale about the trees to be planted on Stratosfeerstraat street. Using a storytelling technique, she wrote a fairytale about the trees “that came to live there”. The story also addressed the topics of waterlogging, heat stress, health and well-being.

Residents naming trees

Apart from raising awareness of the importance of trees and other greenery, an additional goal was to encourage contact among residents. The neighbourhood is quite diverse and is home to people of various ages and nationalities. For that reason, Trivire organised a tree-naming contest for local residents, who could submit their own name or choose the name of someone important to them. Thus, the trees were given an identity, whilst encouraging residents to take more of an interest in the garden and its trees.

Neighbourhood meeting boosts contact and commitment

The winning tree names were announced during a neighbourhood meeting. Residents were anxious to find out which names the trees had been given and felt involved with the trees. Furthermore, during this meeting, the residents helped to plant the fairytale's hero, the walnut tree. The forester and a landscape architect highlighted some details about the trees and the garden and explained the positive effects of greenery on the living environment. Residents mingled with each other and representatives of Buurtwerk community service and Trivire. Staatsbosbeheer, Buurtwerk and Trivire also engaged in good conversations about potential future green residents’ initiatives.

Walnut tree named Marijke

Several local residents had collectively submitted the name “Marijke” for the walnut tree. Marijke was a fellow resident who recently passed away. As a volunteer, she meant a great deal to the neighbourhood. One of the residents explained: “Marijke will still be with us now and we get to see her every day.” Thus, the walnut tree has taken on a symbolic value for the neighbourhood.

Lessons to be learned

• The campaign was a success: residents clearly felt involved with the trees; the campaign was covered by the local newspaper and the local TV channel.
• Storytelling proved effective in reaching residents.
• The municipality has not investigated whether the campaign has raised awareness among residents regarding the importance of trees and other greenery for the living environment. But measuring, for example, how many people have read the fairytale would be difficult, as would measuring the extent to which this has contributed to raising awareness.
• The fairytale could be incorporated into a more broad-based educational awareness programme, with for example workshops and tours of urban trees or of the Biesbosch nature reserve. The parties involved have not (yet) taken any steps to this end.

Contact person

Vanessa Groenenberg
Trivire
v.groenenberg@trivire.nl