Cutting your own Christmas tree in the Schoorlse Duinen: ‘You bring nature into your home’

Such a self-selected tree from the Schoorlse Duinen looks slightly different from what you are used to as a Christmas tree. “The ones you buy at the store are often Norway spruces,” explains forester Yvonne van der Meer. “These are so-called maritime pines. They were once planted in the time of industrialization because we needed the wood for mining.”

Many cherry tree hunters like the fact that the maritime pine has its own look. “The longer I think about it, I find it strange that a Christmas tree should look so slick,” says a young lady who has just cut down her copy. “It’s nature that draws you in and it’s perfect the way it is.”

Win win situation

Where the enthusiasts enjoy their search and cutting down their perfect Christmas tree, it is also Staatsbosbeheer that has been helped to remove the trees that should not actually grow here. “We would like to actually keep the strip of forest in the Schoorlse Duinen forest,” explains forest ranger Yvonne. “But in this place it is actually very open. And we want to keep it that way to protect the heath and mosses, also from the Natura 2000 program.”

Given the red cheeks that appear here and there on the faces, the sawing itself is quite a job. “I’m nice and warm now,” smiles a young lady who has just sawed through quite a trunk. And furthermore, be careful not to indulge in too large a copy, however great that temptation may be. “It will come through the door later”, estimates an older lady with a considerable whopper at her side. “The question is whether he can get into the car later!”