All 98 municipalities are now competing in Denmark’s biodiversity competition

The winner will be announced at the end of the year

Last February, the Danish Minister of the Environment, Lea Wermelin, invited all of Denmark’s 98 municipalities to participate in the national competition, “Denmark’s Wildest Municipality”. 92 municipalities accepted the invitation and ramped up their efforts to promote biodiversity in their cities. 

Today, the Ministry of the Environment announced that the remaining 6 municipalities (Ærø, Læsø, Samsø, Vallensbæk, Frederiksberg and Gladsaxe) have also joined the competition, following pressure from nature-loving citizens. Minister Wermelin commented on this in a press release, noting:

“Nature is in crisis, and we must step in where we can. That is why it is fantastic that all the country’s municipalities are now involved. It shows that the local support for wilder nature is great throughout the country. We can all do something, and together we can do a whole lot.”

A variety of projects

Competing for the title of “Denmark’s Wildest Municipality”, local governments have had to think creatively and launch numerous different projects to increase the biodiversity in their cities. While some municipalities have converted empty spaces into flower beds and homes for insects, others have collaborated with other bodies such as businesses, associations, schools, etc. 

Taking a case in point, TheMayor.EU recently reported that Horsens Municipality created a 50,000 square metre home for wild nature and insects. What is more, it is also collaborating with local associations and giving them free flower seeds to increase the biodiversity of areas it does not own or control. 

Winner announced at the end of 2022

Minister Wermelin and biologist Morten DD Hannsen will select and announce the winner of the notable title at the end of the year. In addition to this, recordings of the projects will be published in 2023, as a film crew is currently following the competition.