Handbook: how to encourage citizens and enterprises to preserve biodiversity?

Nature in built-up areas comes more and more under pressure. Office parks are constructed in undeveloped areas, gardens are tiled and new housing estates are planned with maximum efficiency. That is why NCB Naturalis Leiden municipality, Environmental Services West-Holland and CREM developed the project   ‘Wild Plans for a Living Leiden’. In the project citizens and enterprises from Leiden were encouraged in a special way to devise and implement projects on the theme of biodiversity. The experiences and knowledge gained from the project were incorporated in the handbook ‘Citizens, enterprises and institutions contribute towards biodiversity in the city’.

The objective of the project partners is to inspire other parties in the Netherlands to start local projects for the preservation of biodiversity too. The handbook was written by professionals working at municipalities, provinces, building corporations, social organizations or enterprises and can be downloaded below.

Good example

In his introduction to the handbook, Frank de Wit, the Leiden alderman for the environment, wrote: ‘The project is a good example of how to get citizens and trade and industry involved in a good cause. Great initiatives materialized’. In addition to the lessons learned, attention is paid to communication with the various target groups. The handbook makes a clear distinction between approaching citizens and involving enterprises and institutions The recommendations and examples provide inspiration and a practice-oriented approach. When citizens, enterprises and institutions are encouraged to undertake small-scale actions, they experience how directly they can influence biodiversity in the city.

• Download: , 1813kB >>
• Contact: Annelien van Meer >>

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