Preparations for the Nationale Boomfeestdag (National Tree Day) are in full swing. On Wednesday 20 March, 154 children will arrive by coach at the Business Centre Treeport to plant more than 2,000 plants and trees. Part of the planting will be done beneath the wind turbine, and on top of that there will be an additional 2,000 square meters in the seed orchard using indigenous materials.

These children are from the Sint Annaschool and Zonnebloem in Zundert, the Sint Bavoschool in Rijsbergen, and the Sint Antoniusschool in Klein-Zundert. Among them are also Children's Council members: Nienke IJkema, Resie van Hees, Sara Kokke, Mahmoud Nasif, and Lone de Beer.

Speakers

On this special day, three speakers will also be present: alderman Ralph Bogers on behalf of the municipality of Zundert, Jolanda van Hasselt on behalf of the coöperatieve vereniging Treeport Zundert, and Corné de Vooght on behalf of Rabobank De Zuidelijke Baronie. Rabobank De Zuidelijke Baronie provides financial and programmatic support to realize the plans for this societal initiative.

Design

The trees will be planted according to a design by the Agrobiodiversity work group, including Hedera helix 'arborescens', Osmanthus x burckwoodii, Artemisia 'Powis Castle', Aster divaricatus, and Verbena hastata. These plants will be supplied on the Monday preceding the celebration by Treeport member Boomkwekerij Richard De Bie B.V. The work group has devised a clear colour plan, which the children can use to put the correct plant in the desired location. The seed orchard will also have space for Betula pendula, Cornus sanguinea, Corylus avellana, Euonymus europaeus, Frangula alnus, Fraxinus excelsior, Prunus avium, Tilia cordata, Viburnum opulus, and Rosa (o) canina. These will be supplied by Treeport member NL Plants B.V.

Additionally, in collaboration with the three speakers, a special planting will be done: in the central aisle of the seed orchard, a Fagus tree will be planted. This will be done in honour of landowner Frans van Schaik, who sadly passed away on 7 May 2023. Three additional trees will be planted in his honour, and the space around it will remain empty in remembrance of Frans.

 Preparation at the schools

The children are already busy preparing for this special event. Classroom lessons are being conducted under the guidance of the coöperatieve vereniging Treeport, and the movie "Onder het Maaiveld Junior" is being watched. These lessons show that children are concerned about the green world and have a lot of interest in it. This was also evident in the entries received for the contest where children were asked to design the tree of the future. The awards will be presented on 20 March by Treeport manager David Bömer. The organizing committee wants to keep the excitement going, which means that the winner has not been announced yet. Would you like to attend the celebration? Please let us know by Monday 18 March via info@treeport.eu.

 The organising committee for the annual Nationale Boomfeestdag includes: Trade Fair GrootGroenPlus, European Plant Support Foundation, coöperatieve vereniging Treeport Zundert, and Treeport BCT Partners BV. They are supported by Rabobank De Zuidelijke Baronie, the Municipality of Zundert, and Stichting Nationale Viering Boomfeestdag. It is possible to join the organising committee. Companies, organizations, and associations can contact us via info@grootgroenplus.nl.