„Alleen 3“ pilot project: Students of the Faculty of Life Sciences plant trees for sustainable agriculture
It's a cold January day in the Klever Galleien, but the mood is anything but frosty. Students from the Faculty of Life Sciences are courageously grabbing a spade and planting young trees together with professors and staff from Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. The occasion: the launch of the ‘Alleen 3’ pilot project, which was initiated by the Agroforst Real Laboratory team of the university's TransRegINT project (Transformation of the Lower Rhine Region - Innovation, Sustainability, Participation) together with the city of Kleve and Haus Riswick.
‘Agroforestry’ is the buzzword that is becoming increasingly important in times of climate change and dwindling biodiversity. The idea behind it: To intelligently combine trees and agricultural crops. This creates diverse habitats for plants and animals, improves soil quality and binds CO2. The Agroforst Reallabor project focuses on researching and establishing agroforestry systems in the Lower Rhine region. A total of 349 trees and shrubs were planted in seven strips over an area of 3.3 hectares. This demonstration area, in which Bachelor's students of Sustainable Agriculture and Agribusiness and Master's students of Biological Resources also participated, serves as a real-life laboratory for innovative and sustainable agriculture.
Research and teaching in harmony with nature
With ‘Alleen 3’, the Agroforst Reallabor team offers students from the Faculty of Life Sciences a unique opportunity to put their theoretical knowledge into practice. The planting campaign was just the start: In the coming years, the students will actively accompany the development of the agroforestry area and analyse its ecological, economic and social effects. For example, the effects on biodiversity and the cultivation of the land.
The agroforestry demonstration area in the Klever Galleien will not only be used for research and teaching, but will also be part of the 2029 State Garden Show. In the long term, the agroforestry system in the Klever Galleien will also be made accessible to the public. Excursions and information events are planned to sensitise people to the topic of agroforestry. The planting campaign in Kleve is an encouraging example of how science and practice can go hand in hand to create a more sustainable future. It is to be hoped that ‘Alleen 3’ will find many imitators - and not just in the Lower Rhine region.