A group of Amsterdammers is building the Vlindersnelweg, or butterfly highway: a network of unsprayed greenery with plants native to the Netherlands, where butterflies can rest, shelter and breed.
The main structure runs from the Amsterdamse Bos to the Marineterrein, and gardens have already been planted there and at Artis.
A steep decline
The butterfly population has fallen by 56% in thirty years, mainly because of climate change, pesticides and fragmented natural areas.
As pollinators, butterflies help 80% of Dutch plant species reproduce.
The project is run by the team behind the green roof project Roef and the NK Tegelwippen, with the city and De Vlinderstichting involved.
The idea came from Artis gardener Ton Hilhorst, and the route officially opens at Artis on 6 November.
Plants for your balcony
The organisers say gardens and balconies across the city are needed too.
Since early September residents can order packages of pesticide-free butterfly plants on the project’s website, and about twenty have been sold.
The organisers hope to sell more before the first night frost, expected around the end of November.
If a patchwork of green appeals, a wander through Amsterdam’s parks is a good place to start.
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