The lawn in Van Ewijcksluis has been abandoned and bare for years. This is much to the chagrin of the local residents, who would like to see more plants and animals. And they will finally come, thanks to a subsidy from the province of North Holland.
The local village association submitted an application to the Involvement in Green Fund, an initiative of the province in which more than 100,000 euros has been made available for local projects that should ensure more greenery in the area. “We submitted an application for 5,000 euros, but ultimately received 2,500 euros,” says Annemarie Koopmans, initiator in Van Ewijcksluis. She continues: “We are of course very happy with that.”
Biodiversity
Parc du North, as the park is called, is still boring. But with the help of the municipality and Landscape Noord-Holland, the village association has a nice plan ready that will be realized with the subsidy received. “There is nothing to experience here when it comes to biodiversity and that will change with the arrival of more greenery,” says Koopmans. More than 500 trees and other plants will be purchased with the subsidy, making it more attractive for animals to stay.
Volunteer project
The province pays for the purchase of all the greenery, but it does not pay for labor costs. The village will therefore have to roll up its sleeves for the construction of the park.
The volunteers will start their first working day next Saturday and are looking forward to the coming period: “Everything you do in this area translates into results very quickly. You put down a tree and a kestrel comes to rest in it”, says Koopmans. “It pays off very quickly.”