Dutch forestry commission celebrates 125th anniversary with birth trees for new families

The Dutch forestry commission Staatsbosbeheer is celebrating its 125th anniversary on Sunday. To mark the occasion, the commission is offering so-called birth trees to families expecting a baby on July 21 or later. The first 125 people who send a birth card of their baby to the Staatsbosbeheer will receive a voucher.

With this voucher, they can order a birth tree that can be planted later this year in a forest of their choice. The birth trees will be planted in one of the five birth forests that the Staatsbosbeheer and Stichting Nationale Boomfeestdag are creating in Ridderkerk, Benthuizen, Rheezerveen, Zwanenburg, and Meierijstad. For both organizations, planting a birth tree symbolizes their wish for children to grow up in a green, healthy world. On geboortebos.nl new parents can see where they can send the birth announcement and find more information about the planting days.

With this campaign, the Dutch forestry commission also wants to ensure that future generations can experience the value of nature. "2024 is the year of the forest, and we need more forest. The forest keeps us alive,” says the Staatsbosbeheer, which currently manages and protects 270,000 hectares of nature in the Netherlands.

The forestry commission preserves nature and ensures that a variety of plants and animals, space for movement, green energy, building and raw materials, and clean air prevail in the Netherlands.