City sparrows need a place of their own too

Smack in the centre of Eindhoven, where high domestic tower blocks are being constructed, sparrows can find a new home in a temporary sparrow garden. It is a tiny patch of green on the  Stationsweg where common house sparrows can build their nests. The garden is intended to promote flora and fauna diversity in the city. 

The municipality says the garden is needed because a group of sparrows had to make way for the  Lightyards  project just across the road. The sparrows can now find a home in the new temporary garden.

Layout

The layout of the garden means the sparrows will have everything they need close by; a coccoon with straw and wool to serve as nesting material, a water basin to drink from and fertile, insect-rich soil for their food. “The water basin can also be used to cool down in the summer”, says Linde de Wit, who is involved in the project. “These kinds of places are what sparrows need”.

Flora and fauna

The garden is intended to stimulate diversity in the plants and animals in the city. “Eindhoven experiences a diversity crisis”, says Rik Thijs, alderperson for Soil and Greening. In the past fifty years the number of sparrows in cities has gone down by fifty pet cent, as  Sovon research  shows. Houses are insulated better and nature has to make way for buildings. Sparrows can no longer find places to build their nests.

Thijs says that project developers are obliged to ensure that there will also be trees and bushes in this part of Eindhoven. “It means that animals can also find a place to live here”. The society for the protection of birds would like construction firms to be legally bound to include nesting bricks in the walls for the sparrows.

Source: Studio040

Translated by Greta

 

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