A group of Amsterdam foundations and businesses is donating 750 trees in honor of the city's 750th jubilee. The trees will contribute to the greening of the city and create a sustainable legacy that future generations will benefit from.
The project was made possible by a donation of €2.6 million, raised from 14 different donors. Hans Teengs Gerritsen, who, along with Alexander Ribbink, realized the project, emphasizes that the goal is to leave “a concrete sustainable legacy, free from politics and visible to everyone.” The donors do not have influence over the selection of locations for planting the trees; that decision lies with the municipality.
The donation was made by the Ribbink Van den Hoek Family Foundation, The Brook Foundation, Stichting Tanka, Rubens Capital, Rituals, Stichting Turing Foundation, Construct Invest, Dura Vermeer, Pinnacle, Stichting Van Oostrom Foundation, Stichting Phoenix Foundation, Stichting MCI, Stichting Hartwig Foundation, and Heineken (as part of the existing sponsorship package).
Amsterdam currently has more than a million trees, but the donation of 750 additional trees is a carefully planned process. The estimated cost for the trees, which are already about 4 meters tall, is budgeted at €3,500 per tree. This amount includes the careful selection of the trees, their planting, and the ongoing care provided by the grower in the following years. The idea for the tree donation emerged several years ago during brainstorming sessions leading up to Amsterdam 750. The Party for the Animals proposed a similar initiative to plant 750 trees in honor of the city’s anniversary.
The trees will be presented during the festival ‘…Op De Ring!’ in the summer of 2025. They will then be planted in 750 vacant tree pits spread throughout the city, making it a little greener for future generations.