Joint tour – Walking through Kleves‘s green spaces

Last Thursday, we had the pleasure of visiting various sustainability projects with Pascale van Koeverden from the city of Kleve as part of DialogPunkt Kleve. Here you can find out what we discovered and how you too can get involved in Kleve.

From the bush to the mouth: Edible Kleverland

Our first stop took us to the community garden of Essbares Kleverland e.V. Jürgen Ramisch and Barbara Pauls proudly presented their green oasis in the centre of the city, which used to be a dog meadow. Thanks to the dedication of the members, a diverse and lively area has been created here. Maintaining the garden was a challenge, especially in the hot summers, but now there is a shed with a drinking water supply, well hidden under overgrown pallets.

The raspberries in the garden are yellow and not reddish, but that doesn’t detract from their flavour. Not only typical vegetable plants grow here, but also special ones such as the pokeweed and the mulberry tree. A highlight are the various edible flowers that turn salads into a visual and culinary delight. “Have the courage to be imperfect and set examples,” emphasised Jürgen Ramisch. Every Tuesday from 15:30, you can find out more and lend a hand yourself. New members are always welcome!

A new forest in Kleve?

Our next stop was the area in front of the Rilano Hotel. Pascale van Koeverden explained the plans for an urban forest garden. Together with the Lower Rhine Permaculture Association and Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences (HSRW), a green oasis is to be created here on an area of around 2,000 square metres. Fruit trees, a circular path and benches will invite people to linger and offer protection from the heat. This project is a further step towards making Kleve fit for climate change.

Learning in the green: the new Montessori school

Our last stop was the Montessori school, which was recently renovated and will soon be completed. In addition to modern premises, great importance was attached to climate adaptation. Pascale van Koeverden gave us a tour of the site and showed us the various parts of the refurbishment.

Kiwis and strawberries grow along the bicycle stands, and the schoolyard offers a nature-inspired environment thanks to unsealing and planting. A green classroom and a community garden are just some of the highlights. An ingenious irrigation system ensures that the new maple trees get enough water.

The pupils are enthusiastic and enjoy using the new exercise areas and the school garden. This project is intended to serve as a model for other schools in Kleve and shows how important climate change prevention is for even the youngest.

Join us and help shape the future of Kleve!

Would you like to get involved in promoting more sustainability in Kleve? Then visit us at DialogPunkt An der Münze 12 until 28 June 2024. Here you can find more information about the planned events at DialogPunkt Kleve. We would like to thank everyone involved for their commitment and look forward to more exciting and informative events. Maybe we’ll see you there?