Natuurgebied Noord
Nature area North
Amsterdam-Noord is a nature reserve where also people live. Between the paving stones and the freeways everything grows and blossoms. Amsterdam Noord has the darkest nights, and you don't even have to look far to see the Oer-IJ.
In recent years we have organized dozens of programs, expeditions and research with artists, ecologists and activists from Tolhuistuin, under the ‘Expeditie Groen’ banner.
Joost Janmaat and Reem Saouma made the city nature guide 'Het Wilde Noorden' and we invited everyone to go on an adventure with us in the city nature.
In October 2021 we organized a festive opening of Nature Area North. We wrote a manifesto and a wish list that we will realize in the coming years. Below you will find more information.
Will you join us?
Put on your boots or take off your shoes. Crawl through the gutter or snorkel through a ditch. You can canoe along the banks of the Oer-IJ, bushwhack in Tuindorp Oostzaan or go on an expedition along the A10.
Would you like to help realize the wish list? Send an email to info@tolhuistuin.nl with 'Natuurgebied Noord' in the subject line.
Manifesto | Amsterdam-Noord is a Nature Area, treat it like one
Residents of Amsterdam-Noord have known for a long time. Noord is the most green, lively, species-rich and biodiverse landscape of Amsterdam. It has more different types of plants than National Park Texel Dunes, more different trees than National Park de Hoge Veluwe and the North Sea Canal is one of the most biodiverse waters in the Netherlands. It may sound crazy, but Stadsdeel Noord is a Nature Area. So, residents, companies and administrators, treat it as such. That is the only way to keep this place livable and healthy.
Amsterdam-Noord has vast reedlands, forests, courtyard gardens, allotments, parks, lakes, ditches and rivers. Every day we can see and experience how life finds its way into the city. We, residents of North, are treated to bird concerts, buzzing insect swarms, frog choirs and cricket chatter. Over the Molenwijk thousands of migratory bird formations fly. Foxes and alley cats migrate through the Bongerd, spoonbills through Schellingwoude. You don't have to look far, between the paving stones of the Vogelbuurt and along the freeway of the A10 everything blooms and grows. Snorkeling and canoeing in the Noorderijplas and Schellingwouderbreek, we see hawks, eels and yellow-cheeked turtles. Shoreline swallows and Kingfishers make their home at Overhoeks. In the Vliegenbos, among the glowworms and moths, you realize that Noord still has the darkest nights in the city.
But for how long? The biggest change in Amsterdam will take place in Noord in the coming years. The district where 100,000 people live now will be expanded by about 50,000 homes, a huge logistical operation. The plans devote attention to green space, but as long as there is no proper monitoring of the implementation of guidelines and a legal and political basis is lacking, urban nature will lose out.
We could see that in recent years. Thousands of trees have been cut down without adequate replanting. The video of hazing of Noord, portrayed by Elzo and Defend Noord, shows a frightening picture. New construction towers are shooting up into the sky, but energy poverty is a daily reality for many Northerners in poorly maintained rental homes. Light pollution leads to gigantic insect deaths, but remains a blind spot for administrators. Fake greenery' is promoted to achieve the city's own standards, but artificial turf sports fields, tennis courts and rooftop gardens have little to do with publicly accessible nature.
At the same time, in recent years a broad social movement of concerned people has emerged in North who in their free hours work hard for the beautiful place where they live. They are organized as Friends of the Vliegenbos, the Rietland, the Noorderpark, the Wilmkebreek, the Schellingwouderpark, the Sustainable 100 of Noord, Amsterdam Noord Groene Stad aan het Water (ANGSAW), Red Amsterdam Noord, OM, Groene Longen, Dames Vogelburen or Voortuin van Noord.
People who tirelessly continue to speak up at district council meetings, teach their neighbors to cycle around the Vliegenbos because of the animals that live there, demonstrate in the Noorderpark because of the dejuvenation and the lack of participation, make manifestos, plant flower gardens, organize expeditions, give vegetable garden lessons, plant a Christmas tree forest, maintain allotment parks and draw up petitions because investments are being made in new buildings but not enough in renovating existing homes. Paws in the mud, feet in the IJ-clay.
Together with these people, we proclaim Amsterdam Noord a Nature Area. Because Noord is a habitat of billions of creatures that grow, crawl, fly and flourish, and with whom we humans form the city. We need each other to keep the city healthy and livable. To cope with the scorching heat and heavy precipitation that we increasingly have to deal with. We come to rest there, we recreate there, we become happy there. We ourselves are nature. We can only keep the city livable if we also design and build for plants and animals. Look more often through the eyes of an animal, a plant, a fungus or lichen. How does a hedgehog look at a traffic circle? Or a grass snake to the Schellingwouderdijk?
With the declaration of Nature Area North, we call for the celebration, preservation, strengthening and appreciation of urban nature. We call on everyone to participate, residents, businesses, administrators: Hang out a flag. Put it in your front yard, your park, the water around your house, between the paving stones of your street. Celebrate the part of the city we love so much. Because Noord is a Natural Area where people also live.
An abridged version of this text appeared as an opinion supplement in the Dutch newspaper Parool (October 22, 2021).
A WISH LIST FOR NATURE RESERVE NORTH
Protect Natural Area North with a legal basis & preserve and improve Natural Area North
1. Support the nomination for Amsterdam-North as the 22nd National Park of the Netherlands and ensure legal protection (e.g. through a community land trust). The urban landscape is as ecologically important as the dune and river landscape, and deserves the highest status.
2. Cut down with cut down! The building boom in North and redesign of streets is accompanied by massive logging. Although there is a legal obligation to replant, the practice is hopelessly behind. In the midst of a climate crisis, this simply cannot be explained. A fair and real replant for all felled trees in annual rings or volume. Shrubs or saplings are not the same as trees decades old.
3. Have the impact of building plans on biodiversity, particulate matter, nitrogen and CO2 carefully mapped before permits are issued and monitored. Make the green standard sacrosanct for developers and landowners. Ban 'sham green' (counting verges, private gardens, green roofs, tree rings, 'green streets', green coloured plastic soccer pitches as for example in Green Vision 2050).
4. Make monitoring of urban nature a task for the Ombudsman or another independent body that reports annually. The City of Amsterdam is a developer and legislator at the same time. In all interests, urban nature usually loses out, because the trees and animals of the city represent themselves poorly in our political arenas. In an era when we are rapidly losing species, on Earth and in Amsterdam, this really can't happen anymore.
5. Invest in making existing rental housing more sustainable, many of which are currently in deplorable condition. This is essential for the physical and mental health of the residents and contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
6. Connect the inner ringgates (the Schellingwouderscheg, the Noordhollandse Canal Zone, and the Kadoelenscheg) into one uninterrupted urban nature network. This will strengthen the biodiversity and resilience of nature.
7. Noord has numerous schools. Invest in an extensive educational program for children and adults about the place where we live. Appoint dozens of new (junior) urban ecologists and urban gardeners, from Noord of course.
8. No more new buildings without nature! Nature inclusive construction is a fantastic concept; if we build for people, let's also build for those other city dwellers who love Amsterdam just as much. Check, not only immediately after execution, but also after 10 and 25 years. See nature as priceless aspect for the livability and health of the residents, good for bigger weather extremes (precipitation, heat), necessary for the climate adaptive city.
9. Darkness is very rare nowadays while we know more and more that darkness is vital, for people and animals. Therefore, make a concrete plan to combat light pollution. A large part of the lighting at night is unnecessary, costs the city money and in some cases even makes it unsafe. Research shows that lighting combined with poor social control actually leads to more crime.
10. Make surface water drinkable. The largest nature reserve in Noord lies below the water table. Even though the water has never been cleaner, the diversity of species and numbers could be much higher! The banks are too hard, the bottoms too deep: create an exuberant network of new reed beds, fish reefs and eel parks. Create good fish passages and connect the polders, ditches and breaks that are now barely connected. Turn the northern IJ bank and the Johan van Hasselt canal, for example, into a nature park that is unparalleled in the world!
Signed by
This manifesto is supported by:
Voortuin van Noord | Marieke Oomen
Dames Vogelburen | Fatiha Kaddouri, Janine Westerveld en Fatima el Yaichi
Red Amsterdam Noord | Eva Bollen
Nacht-Wacht | Najat Kaddour & Marjolijn van Heemstra
ANGSAW | Bart Stuart
Sylvia Fennis
Palais Recup | Frank Alsema
Groene Longen | Floor Hallema
D100 van Noord | Nathalie van Loon
Partizan Publik | Joost Janmaat
Tolhuistuin | Matthea de Jong
Café De Ceuvel | Esther Weller
OM groep | Hetty Oorbeek
Stichting Zosenerdam | Erik Bannenberg
Pof/Noorderlicht | Jasper Helmer
Vox-college & Green Office | Bas Huijbers
Studio Valkenier | Wouter Valkenier
Vlindertuin Mot in Mokum | Nicky Castricum
Studio Parkers | Rob Verdegaal
NatuurOptimist | Thijs de Zeeuw
Vereniging De Ceuvel | Marien Baerveldt
NoordOogst | Ron van Echteld
Bestuur huurdersvereniging Van der Pekbuurt
We Are Warming Up | Bernadette Kuiper
The Mokum Mangrove project | David de Bruijn
Vereniging De Ceuvel | Anke Wijnja
Mediakaal now Art :: Space and nature Now, a poetic research | Patricia de Ruijter
Bestuur Stichting W.H. Vliegenbos | Patty Muller
Tuinpark Buitenzorg | Joke van der Helm (voorzitter)
De Chrononauten & Studio Monnik | Edwin Gardner & Christiaan Fruneaux
Climate Cleanup Foundation | Sven Jense & team
The Pollinators | Tom van de Beek
The Tipping Point Foundation | Froukje Jansen
NDSM | Tim Vermeulen
Opening Nature Area North during Warming Up Festival
This manifesto was presented during the Opening Nature Area North festive program during Warming Up Festival, a festival about art, climate and activism.
More information about Warming Up Festival:
www.wearewarmingup.nl
#wearewarmingup
Are you from Noord and do you also want to sign with your initiative, organization or company? Send an email to info@tolhuistuin.nl
Het Wilde Noorden
Het Wilde Noorden is a nature guide for Amsterdam-Noord, compiled by Joost Janmaat and Reem Saouma.
Amsterdam-Noord is a nature reserve where people also live. Go canoeing along the banks of the Oer-IJ, bushcrafting in Tuindorp Oostzaan, snorkeling in the Noorder IJ-plas or on an expedition along the A10. With contributions from biologists, artists, explorers, green space managers, a Dutch Elm and a Collared Parakeet.
With a foreword by Freek Vonk and contributions by Marjolijn van Heemstra, Jan Rothuizen, Arita Baaijens, Remco Daalder and others.
Het Wilde Noorden is the result of 'Expeditie Groen', the Tolhuistuin's program into urban nature. The book is an account of the journey to all the urban jungles, but also a tribute to Amsterdam-Noord and all the human inhabitants who selflessly work to preserve and expand this nature reserve.
Publisher Excelsior Recordings. Order link: www.wildenoorden.nl
Deelnemende kunstenaars & programmamakers: Ama van Dantzig, Arita Baaijens, Climate Cleanup, De Onkruinenier, Floor Hallema, Jaap Scheeren, Jan Rothuizen, Joost Janmaat, Kristian de la Riva, Mara van Nes, Marjolijn van Heemstra, Najat Kaddour, Remco Daalder, Thijs de Zeeuw.
Fotocredits: Mara van Nes, Joost Janmaat, Jaap Scheeren, Tim Hillige, Eric van Nieuwlandt
Kunstwerk "Natuurgebied Noord": Mirjam van der Most
Illustratie: Kristian de la Riva
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