Into the Woods
A hands-on studio exploring strategies for radically greening our cities by creating a micro forest, led by Peter Veenstra (LOLA Landscape Architects) and ecologist Ronald Buiting, taking place on Fri 14, Sat 15, Fri 21, Sat 22 and Sun 23 (optional) March 2025.
Tickets are available for 250 euro.
Course outline
Planting trees has become a popular initiative for local and national governments around the world to combat climate change and increase biodiversity. In 2020, The World Economic Forum launched the One Trillion Trees Initiative - a global movement to grow, restore, and conserve trees across the planet. Similarly, the European Commission aims to plant at least 3 billion additional trees by 2030, and the Dutch government developed a vision for the future of forests in the Netherlands, targeting a 10% expansion by 2030.
While expanding, regenerating, and rewilding large natural areas are crucial strategies for creating diverse and healthy carbon-storing ecosystems, there are also many reasons to radically green our urban areas. Trees capture CO2 and clean the air, cool our cities, help regulate ecosystems, improve our health, and foster a sense of well-being.
In this workshop, we will build upon the experiences from the previous edition in 2021. We will follow an ecological and hands-on approach, utilizing nature's natural reproductive processes by harvesting and replanting seedlings. We will work on creating our own micro forest, employing a layered approach from the soil to the treetops, with a specific focus on the biodiversity of what we are planting.
About Peter Veenstra
Peter Veenstra is landscape architect and co-founder of LOLA Landscape Architects (Rotterdam, Shenzhen). With the office Peter worked on projects like Park Vijversburg in Tytsjerk, Singelpark in Leiden, the adidas HQ campus in Herzogenaurach, and the Red Path Park in Shenzhen. Recent research focused on post-disaster landscapes, carbon positive land use, afforestation, and climate adaptation in the urban environment. In 2013, he received the Rotterdam Maaskant Prize for Young Architects, in 2014 the TOPOS landscape award. He co-wrote LOLA’s first monograph, ‘Lost Landscapes’, and the second, ‘In Search of Sharawadgi’. On 2022, he co-curated the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam, titled ‘It’s About Time – The Architecture of Change’.
About Ronald Buiting
Ronald Buiting is an ecologist specialised in biodiversity in the green outdoor space. His office uses field and open source data research to plan development and process guidance. He specialises in the establishment of new habitats and the biodiverse design of landscapes, forests and buildings, working with offices such as Dok Architecten, MVRDV and Posad Maxwan. Ronald is an expert in turning problems in opportunities and creating support and ambassadorship to sustainably manage habitats.
Preliminary Schedule
Friday 14 March 2025
10:00 – 10:30 Welcome and Introduction
10:30 – 11:30 Lecture by Peter Veenstra + conversation
11:45 – 12:30 Lecture on organic waste by Carolien van Eykelen (Municipality Rotterdam)
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Break
13:30 – 14:15 Lecture by Piet Vollaard about greening the city
14:15 – 15:30 Excursion to ZOHO
15:30 – 17:30 Visit Hefpark
Saturday 15 March 2025
10:00 - 14:00 Field trip to Bentwoud, Zoetermeer with Ronald Buiting
14:00 – 17:30 Work at Hefpark, preparing the site and groundwork
Friday 21 March 2025
10:00 – 17:30 Work at Hefpark, preparing the site and groundwork
Saturday 22 March 2025
10:00 – 17:30 Harvesting and planting of seedlings at Hefpark - digging, planting,, painting, naming, etc.
Sunday 23 March 2025 (optional, if needed)
Finalise work on site.