Horsens is offering free flower seeds to associations

It is encouraging citizens to help increase biodiversity in the municipality

On Friday 4 February, the Danish Municipality of Horsens announced that it will distribute free flower seeds to various associations that can convert common areas and public spaces into green, wild meadows. More specifically, it will provide landowners' and housing associations (among others) with seeds that can cover an area of 1,000 square metres, the equivalent of 4 tennis courts. 

Once an association receives and sow the seeds, the municipality will then allow them to put up a sign, notifying others that it is converting the area into a home for insects, plants, and animals. 

A landowners' association converted a grass area into a flower meadow in 2021
(Source: Horsens Municipality)

Denmark’s Wildest Municipality

Last year, the Danish Minister of the Environment, Lea Wermelin, invited all of the country’s 98 municipalities to participate in a competition to become ‘Denmark’s Wildest Municipality’. Since then, 92 have joined the contest and begun implementing green projects that will increase the biodiversity in their cities.

Taking a case in point, Horsens Municipality set aside 50,000 square metres of land for insects and plants in June 2021. Now, it hopes to further strengthen its position in the competition by distributing the aforementioned flower seeds, which will increase the biodiversity of areas it does not own or control. Malene Steen Simonsen, Project Manager in charge of Horsens’ participation in the national competition, commented:

“Even small areas count when it comes to biodiversity. As a municipality, we have a responsibility to inspire and motivate, so that as many people as possible want to contribute to creating better conditions for our plants and insects.”

In addition to increasing biodiversity in the municipality, the wild meadows will also make it more attractive for its residents and visitors. The associations interested in receiving free flower seeds must apply on the VildMedHorsens website no later than 14 March 2022.