Tree giveaway starts in The Hague

Local authorities will be distributing 1000 free trees to make the city greener and healthier

As of this month, residents of The Hague can apply and get a tree for free. The move is part of the Dutch municipality’s policy to make the city greener, resilient and to mitigate the effects of climate change. No fewer than 1000 trees will be distributed at this round of the campaign, to reach a national goal of 1 million new trees.

Planting trees improves the quality of life

On Friday, 25 June, The Hague informed on its website that it has started a tree giveaway. Residents of the second city in The Netherlands can apply online until 29 August and receive a tree for free, if they have their own place to plant it. So, anyone who has their own front or back garden, allotment garden, community garden or communal courtyard, can request a sapling as part of the campaign.

Residents can choose from different trees depending on the size of the green areas they dispose of and among different tree species such as sweet chestnut, pear tree or decorative apple. A local foundation that works in the field of sustainability will then assess the applications with the help of experts.

The main condition is that the applicant has enough green area to ensure the wellbeing of the tree (a minimum of 3m² and at least 0.5 metres distance from the neighbour’s garden) and also that trees are distributed fairly between residents. The delivery of the plants is set for the autumn of 2021.

The distribution of 1,000 trees is part of the new urban policy that was recently adopted by the city council of The Hague. As public space is becoming scarcer and more people come to live in the city, the climate is changing. Therefore, trees will become increasingly important in the future. That is why the city will be giving more room for trees to grow and we will be planting additional ones in the coming years, together with residents, companies and schools.

Furthermore, there is a nationwide effort to plant more trees, under the Plan Boom campaign. Said campaign aims to plant 10 million trees throughout the Netherlands.