Students in 15 Romanian schools will plant 7,500 bulbs within “Children love nature” project

“Children Love Nature” initiative aims to bring kids closer to nature and to promote green education. Through active involvement in planting, observing, and raising flower bulbs, children will have the opportunity to understand the connection between flowers, insects, food production, and plants diversity.

This initiative will run in 15 different primary and high schools across Bucharest and several other cities in Romania. Kids will be offered kit bulbs together with tools and specific guidelines on how to plant and take care of the plants. During the first week of November, the bulbs will be planted in the schools’ gardens, as part of a dedicated event. The students will have to take care of their school gardens until spring, when the flowers will be in full bloom.

Every kit contains 500 bulbs of different flowers: Tulips, Narcissus, Crocus, Muscari, and Allium, all plants flowering between March and June.

In the Netherlands, most primary schools have a school garden as a basic project for kids aged 10-12 years old. They learn about bulbs, plants, vegetables, and fruits. In Holland, a school garden system has been in place for over 100 years. Each year, primary schools take their kids to the fields where the youngsters will learn how to sow, grow and cook food.

This project also includes a photography contest. In April 2023, when flowers are in bloom, participants will have the opportunity to exhibit their work through pictures. All the schools involved in the project are encouraged to submit a photo of their garden. Following the selection made by the organizers, 3 schools will be awarded special prizes.

Kapiteyn BV from the Netherlands together with the Center of Excellence for Agri-Food and Sustainable Development Educational Resources (AGRIEDU CEX) support the “Children love nature” project.

“The Center of Excellence for Agro-Food Resources and Sustainable Development (AGRIEDU CEX) aims to promote green agricultural education and to provide examples of best practices in this sector. The Alliance Green Pact for Education (GroenePact) and the successful examples of mixed education used in the Netherlands can also be applied in Romania. Children Love Nature initiative is part of this approach. Planting flower bulbs is an example of blended green education that will give children the chance to learn about the importance of biodiversity for both food production and the well-being of everyone, children, and adults. We hope this first edition to be just the beginning and bulb planting to become a current practice in Romanian schools”, says Florentina Nanu, Manager of AGRIEDU CEX.

“Kapiteyn BV’s motto is flower bulbs, our nature. The company has been producing and growing flower bulbs for over 100 years and aims to make the world a more sustainable place. Flower bulbs are the best friends of pollinating insects. Without pollination, most fruits and vegetables cannot grow. The climate is changing. It’s getting warmer; we’re seeing soil dehydration and more and more forest fires. On the other hand, the rains are getting more intense, with tornadoes and floods. Nature needs us. We need to be more careful with our environment. So let’s plant together and help Nature!” says Natasja Mantel, Kapiteyn BV.

A new planting campaign could be organized next fall as a second edition of the campaign.