Charitable Foundation funds climate-resistant forests in the Netherlands
As part of our Now & Next sustainability strategy , we have collaborated with De Hoge Veluwe National Park to protect biodiversity and plant drought-resistant trees in the Netherlands.
An area of significant natural beauty, De Hoge Veluwe National Park, is the largest actively managed nature reserve in the Netherlands. Severe drought over recent years however has caused several trees and even whole parts of the forest to die. A donation by our Charitable Foundation, which promotes several biodiversity initiatives worldwide, will see many hectares of forest be transformed in the coming decades through the planting of drought-resistant tree species.
In order to preserve biodiversity, the national park is actively managed with a focus on climate resilience to protect the rare and vulnerable animal species. As more cases of drought are expected to continue, De Hoge Veluwe National Park is replacing vulnerable tree species such as Norway spruce and larch with more drought-resistant species, such as tree hazel and sessile oak. In order to achieve this sustainable transformation of the landscape, financial support from charities is essential.
This project is part of our ambition to support one hundred diversity projects by 2025, working together with local partners and organisations throughout Europe and North America. Projects that are eligible for funding include wildflower meadows, community gardens or tree planting projects and are intended to protect natural habitats and increase species diversity.
We are very grateful to DS Smith for their contribution to a sustainable future for De Hoge Veluwe. Thanks to this donation, De Hoge Veluwe National Park can continue to invest and pass on the green treasure trove of the Netherlands to our future generations.
We are proud to be able to contribute to the sustainable preservation of this natural heritage, which is so important for the Netherlands.
