Wednesday was World Plant Day, but for Bernice Kamphuis (36) every day is no different. She and her team are involved in highway robbery: saving plants that are destroyed along with houses and buildings. These rescued plants are put back in, for example, schoolyards and open-plan offices. And that is unique: it is the only foundation in the Netherlands that ‘shrub robbers’. “From flower bulb to tree, every plant is sacred to me.”
Bernice herself lived in a ‘demolition area’ in Eindhoven when she came up with the idea of highway robbery. At that time, houses were often demolished here, often with a front and back garden. “I saw all those plants being taken away and disappearing like snow in the sun. I thought that was really ridiculous,” says the initiator.
She decided to take matters into her own hands and therefore started a neighborhood initiative. Together with the neighbors she went to save the plants from gardens that were going to be demolished. They took the shovels from the shed and set out to remove trees, shrubs, and flowers from the yard to place them elsewhere. This could be school yards, private gardens or companies that do want the rescued plants. In this way many plants can still remain alive.
“It’s gotten a little out of hand.”
From creating with her neighbors it quickly grew into a foundation: Stichting Struikroven, where she wants to save plants throughout the country. “It really got out of hand,” she says with a laugh. She is currently training more than forty self-employed people to become highwaymen. These plant rescuers can be hired by companies to save the plants before their premises are demolished. But really full-time highway robbery doesn’t work, most do it next to their own job. And there are always volunteers who want to help.
And it doesn’t stop there, Bernice is still working every day to make the foundation even bigger. With the aim: a law in which it is mandatory to first remove the plants in the area before a building is demolished: “I really want to make an impact.”
“I like those defeated residential areas the most for robbing.”
And she is busy with that: she has now saved thousands of plants together with her volunteers and freelancers. Her favorite spot for highway robbery? “These defeated residential areas,” says the plant rescuer. “That way you really get a glimpse into someone’s world when you stand in their garden. Sometimes people lived there all their lives before it was to be demolished. I think it’s special to poke around there.” Bernice does not have the most special rescued plant. “From flower bulb to tree, every plant is sacred to me.”
ALSO READ: Bush robbers save plants from the old Amphia Hospital in Breda
