According to Koopman, banning visitors from sitting on the ground is not an option. “People want to sit under the trees and celebrate that blossom festival. Then you have to get off the paths.”
Big problem
In the meantime, the worms and fungi must ensure that the park becomes healthy again. “Soil compaction is a major problem throughout the Netherlands,” says worm expert Mark Thur. He carries containers of different types of worms to put out in the park.
“There are actually very few ways to solve soil compaction. Putting nature to work is one of those solutions.” And that is exactly what will happen in Bloesem Park.
Waking
“Worms dig tunnels and we hope that we will get more aeration in the soil,” Koopman explains. “For example, we deploy commuters who mainly dig vertical tunnels.” Fungi should help the worms by improving the soil structure.
The first worms that are thrown onto the fresh soil surface seem to suffer from threshold fear. “No, they just need to wake up from the light,” Thur explains. And sure enough, after a few minutes the creatures shoot into the ground one by one.
The expert looks at it proudly. “The worms are doing fantastic. We have to be careful that no birds come. Sometimes you have to chase them away like a kind of scarecrow.”