Watch them grow in Leiden

Leiden city hall is giving new parents the opportunity to watch a tree grow at the same time as their child.

All those who register a birth in Leiden will receive a voucher for a geboorteboom (birth tree) which, as municipal officials point out, will contribute to the well-being of the city long after their child has outgrown other presents of toys and clothes.

The first trees will be handed out on June 1 at The Field, a popular Leiden venue, with a second event planned for the autumn.

“We looked at the numbers for last year and about a thousand babies were born in the city,” Leiden spokesperson Inge Roest said, pointing out the beneficial impact that another thousand trees would have on the city.

As well as providing shade at the height of the summer, trees boost biodiversity and help to cut down on carbondioxe emissions while absorbing rainwater and reducing the risk of flooding, she said.

With little space now available in the city centre for large-scale tree plantings, the municipal authorities are encouraging residents – and new parents –  to help out by planting them on their own properties. There could be room in front or back garden or even in a large pot on a balcony.

As well as city hall and local environmentalist groups, Rotterdam-based Cool Down City, which has distributed 7,344 trees in Rotterdam and 797 in Leiden in a bid limit global warming, is collaborating with the scheme.