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We

11 Jun

Festive opening Hortus BeeTotem great succes! How can you help the refubees?

00:00:00event

On June 11th, a wonderfully sunny day, the Hortus Bee Totem was festively inaugurated at the Plantage Westermanplantsoen. The Bee Totem is a living work of art made from recycled plastic bottles, topped with a giant magnified bee. Artist Hans Kalliwoda shows how art, nature, sustainability, and community participation can go hand in hand. Our neighborhood network has embraced this project wholeheartedly and is especially delighted with this wonderful piece of art in the area. Want to find out how you can contribute?

At the bottom of this message, you’ll find a step-by-step guide!

Festive Inauguration
The lovely park across from the Artisplein was decorated with tents and colorful, festively set tables filled with homemade snacks. There was live music and a puppeteer buzzed playfully through the crowd. Several speakers took the stage, including the artist himself, Hans Kalliwoda and City Council Member Anneke Veenhoff. The afternoon was officially opened by Carlien Blok, director of the Hortus Botanicus. She spoke about the importance of biodiversity: without plants, life on our planet simply isn’t possible. They are vital to the functioning of our ecosystem—forming the foundation of food chains, producing oxygen, and regulating the climate. Various plant species attract different types of animals, creating a richer biodiversity. For instance, the Reseda Masked Bee is especially fond of the Reseda plant, and this tiny 0.8-centimeter bee plays its part in helping these plants thrive.

Want to help this little Refubee in making our neighborhood even greener?

  1. Buy seeds here and plant them in your garden, your balcony or in a sidewalk garden:
    • White Reseda – link
    • Wild Reseda – link
    • Dyer’s Reseda – link
    • Garden Reseda – link
    • Wild Marjoram – link
    • Wild Carrot – link
  3. Collect organic waste in a small container and bring it to the compost bin next to the Bee Totem. Raw fruit and vegetables, coffee grounds, and eggshells are welcome (NO onions, meat, fish, or dairy). This compost nourishes the soil for the plants.
  4. Check the Refubees webpage regularly to see how the totem is doing. The “Karmagotchi” lets you know whether the totem has enough water and food.
  5. Share this information with your neighbors and stop by together sometime to see how everything is blooming, growing, and buzzing.