Last updated: October 2021
The hurricane Kyrill devastated up to one-third of the tree stock in the city of Münster and thereby changed the green cityscape in 2007. Therefore, the civic society movement "Foundation Citizens for Münster" initiated the project "Bürgerbäume" (literal translation: citizen trees) to foster reforestation of the promenade of the city castle and other affected spots in 2008. In collaboration with the city department for urban green, motivated citizens and citizen groups took over tree sponsorships with up to € 1,000 per tree to help restore the urban green within three months after the event (ref. 1, 4).
Storm damage
Source: https://www.stadt-muenster.de/farbe/aktionen-in-muenster/buergerbaeume.html
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Green playgrounds and school grounds
- Institutional green space
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Green space creation and/or management
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Effective management
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Tourism support
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Maintenance and management of urban nature
Project objectives
Restoring the green city landscape by reforestation of the boulevard alley of the city castle and other affected spots due to hurricane Kyrill (ref. 1 and 2). The tree stock does not only create an aesthetic city picture but also provides valuable habitats for the local fauna in addition to other functions, such as air purification (ref. 5). The bottom-up movement constituted by the majority of Münster's citizens is an expression of strong social cohesion (ref. 4).
Implementation activities
Urban green is described as a traditional characteristic of the city of Münster which explains the citizens' commitment and effort to restore the green city landscape after hurricane Kyrill struck in 2007. A crowd-funding and tree sponsoring scheme was set-up by motivated residents and a civic society foundation, which achieved to collect EUR 210,000 to restore the tree alley of the boulevard leading up to the city castle with 210 newly planted lime trees which had been completely destroyed by the hurricane (ref. 1 and 3). The tree stock does not only create an aesthetic city picture but also provides valuable habitats for the local fauna in addition to other functions, such as air purification (ref. 5). The bottom-up movement constituted by the majority of Münster's citizens is an expression of strong social cohesion (ref. 4).
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
- Citizens or community group
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Crowd-sourcing/Crowd-funding/Participatory budget
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The initiative was initiated by committed residents and the foundation citizens for Münster aiming at restoring the green city landscape of Münster after the hurricane had devastated a large amount of tress in the city and adjacent areas. Also local businesses and associations participated in the funding. With the help of a graphic design bureau information about the initiative was disseminated (Ref. 1 and 2).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€100,000 - €500,000
Source(s) of funding
- Crowdfunding
Type of funding
- Donations
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Reduced noise exposure
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. Stadt Münster. (2016b). Aktionen in Münster Bürgerbäume. Aktion: ‘Ihr Baum vor dem Schloss’. Available at: Source link (Accessed 7 August 2020)
2. Stadt Münster Amt für Grünflächen und Umweltschutz. (2008). Aktion Bürgerbäume Münsteraner Bürger spenden für 210.000 € Bäume für Ihre Promenade. Available at: Source link (Accessed 7 August 2020)
3. Stadt Münster Presse- und Informationsamt. (2012). Fünf Jahre nach dem Orkan Kyrill. Available at: Source link (Accessed 7 August 2020)
4. Stiftung Bürger für Münster. (2017). Bürgerbäume. Das Projekt. Available at: Source link (Accessed 7 August 2020)
5. Amt für Grünflächen Umwelt und Nachhaltigkeit. (2016). Bäume sind die grünen Lungen der Stadt! Available at: Source link (Accessed 7 August 2020)
2. Stadt Münster Amt für Grünflächen und Umweltschutz. (2008). Aktion Bürgerbäume Münsteraner Bürger spenden für 210.000 € Bäume für Ihre Promenade. Available at: Source link (Accessed 7 August 2020)
3. Stadt Münster Presse- und Informationsamt. (2012). Fünf Jahre nach dem Orkan Kyrill. Available at: Source link (Accessed 7 August 2020)
4. Stiftung Bürger für Münster. (2017). Bürgerbäume. Das Projekt. Available at: Source link (Accessed 7 August 2020)
5. Amt für Grünflächen Umwelt und Nachhaltigkeit. (2016). Bäume sind die grünen Lungen der Stadt! Available at: Source link (Accessed 7 August 2020)
The linden trees are aligned.
Source: https://www.stadt-muenster.de/farbe/aktionen-in-muenster/buergerbaeume.html
The donors in front of 'their' trees.
Source: https://www.stadt-muenster.de/farbe/aktionen-in-muenster/buergerbaeume.html