The city of Groningen officially launched the European #EUTreeTag campaign on Tuesday, September 19, with a focus on raising awareness about the essential role trees play in urban environments. The campaign’s kick-off was held at the Nieuwe Kerk, where Alderman Mirjam Wijnja unveiled a plaque next to a European beech tree located on Nieuwe Boteringestraat.
According to Focus Groningen, the event featured posters providing detailed information on the environmental services provided by specific trees. For the European beech, this included data on how much air pollution the tree captures, how much oxygen it produces, and the amount of rainwater it can absorb. The larger the tree canopy, the greater its contribution to the environment.
As part of the campaign, several notable trees across Groningen have been tagged, including a Caucasian wingnut on Moesstraat, a red beech at Emmaplein, a willow at Noorddijkerplein, and a Dutch linden in nearby Haren at Stationsplein. Each of these trees has been equipped with signage that explains its role in improving air quality, managing water runoff, and absorbing carbon dioxide.
During the event, a protestor named Kiki briefly disrupted proceedings, sounding a horn and demanding the removal of the plaque at the Nieuwe Kerk site, reported Focus Groningen.
The #EUTreeTag campaign is a Europe-wide initiative launched to bring attention to the role trees play in cities. The campaign aims to educate the public on the many benefits trees provide, from improving air quality to reducing carbon emissions and managing stormwater. First introduced by the European Union in collaboration with environmental organizations, the campaign is part of a broader movement towards environmental responsibility. The information on each tree’s environmental contribution is calculated using i-Tree, a specialized software program designed to measure the ecosystem services of trees.
