With gloves, a shovel and a good dose of sense, some residents of the asylum seekers’ center help out in the Exatenbos in Baexem. “This is important. They already have so little to do.”
Under the banner of Meer Bomen Nu, work is being done in various places in Limburg. In two days’ time, as many mini trees as possible have to be dug out to be planted elsewhere.
New nature
A total of 70,000 trees and shrubs will be moved to a new piece of land. The Second Limburg Tree Boost has everything to do with creating new nature where possible. The seedlings or very young trees are often no more than twigs that stick out barely one meter above the ground. In the mature Exatenbos you have to look closely to spot them.
Useful distraction
“We only choose native species to harvest such as beech, chestnut and oak.” Wilhelmina Hoedjes is happy that she can work with a few residents of the AZC. She works as a volunteer under the name Aan de Slag AZC. “These people are allowed to do almost nothing while they are in proceedings. Volunteering like this is welcome because it is a good and useful distraction.”
Iran
Hadi from Iran is willing to say what he thinks of the action. On his phone he translated it from Farsi to English: “We plant trees for a better future.” The message from the young Iranian is short and clear. The seedlings from the Exatenbos will probably go to a new piece of natural land in Heythuysen.