Freiburg uses tree sponsorship to boost urban biodiversity

In Freiburg, Germany, citizen-led care of street tree beds is proving to be an effective method for boosting urban biodiversity. Residents like Olivia Besters, who began maintaining soil patches decades ago to improve local aesthetics, have inadvertently contributed to increasing species richness in their neighborhoods.

To support these informal efforts, the city formalized a tree sponsorship program, known as the ‘Baumpatenschaftsprogramm’, in 2004. This initiative was designed to organize and support resident activities that were already occurring. In 2010, the city partnered with the environmental education center Ecostation to launch the ‘Freiburg blüht auf’ (Freiburg in bloom) initiative, further integrating biodiversity into urban management.