Vesteda, Dutch Bird Protection Society create urban space for birds

Residential real estate investor Vesteda and the Dutch Society for the protection of Birds (Vogelbescherming Nederland) today signed a cooperation agreement with the aim of improving the living environment for both people and birds. To celebrate this alliance, Fred Wouters of the Dutch Society for the Protection of Birds and Vesteda CEO Gertjan van der Baan together laid the first nest bricks for common swifts in the Enter residential complex on Joan Muyskenweg in Amsterdam. These hollow bricks provide better protection for bird nests from wind and maintenance work.

Under the conditions of the cooperation agreement, the Dutch Society for the Protection of Birds will advise Vesteda on how to make adjustments during renovations and for new-build projects. Vesteda hopes this advice will help it make the right choices and improve the sustainability of its residential portfolio with an eye to local flora and fauna. In addition, Vesteda’s new tenants will shortly receive a welcome package full of bird-friendly gifts for their gardens or balconies.

A liveable city for both residents and nature
Urban environments frequently lack any space for greenery or nature. But that trend is now being reversed, as urban nature and green building are becoming remarkably popular. Why? Because many indigenous bird species, such as house sparrows, swifts and house martins, are seeing their nests disappear at an alarming rate due to new-build residential projects, and this is reducing their numbers. Fitting green roofs, nest bricks and bird lofts helps give back birds and insects, such as butterflies and bees, their natural habitat in an urban environment. At the same time, it also improves the quality of the environment itself. Various studies have shown that people living in green neighbourhoods are both healthier and happier.

The Dutch Society for the Protection of Birds (Vogelbescherming Nederland) has been campaigning for the creation of bird-friendly cities for many years. The alliance with Vesteda is very much in line with this goal. Vesteda CEO, Gertjan van der Baan: “Via various media, including websites such as www.checklistgroenbouwen.nl (Green Building Checklist – in Dutch), the Dutch Society for the Protection of Birds helps the business community to build with a focus on green and birdlife. Whether this involves new-build, renovations, project development or the planning stages of urban projects, the Green Building Checklist contains countless ideas and concrete recommendations that Vesteda can use.”

Green islands over the city
Vesteda is very keen to actively help create a green living environment, a place that is pleasant to live in. The Dutch Society for the Protection of Birds (Vogelbescherming Nederland) can give Vesteda the advice it needs to do just that. Fred Wouters from the Dutch Society for the Protection of Birds: “Green roofs are not just good for birds; they have benefits for cities and for residents, such as water storage, heat regulation, sound insulation and air purification, not to mention the fact they look great. Just imagine: all those different buildings with green roofs, which together form a green island over the city!”