The Groene Twinkeling is an initiative of Landscape Overijssel, which protects, develops and manages the Overijssel landscape—with its distinctive nature and regional history, valuable for people, plants and animals to live in and experience. The Groene Twinkeling is awarded annually to the entrepreneur in Overijssel who best succeeds in linking business operations and biodiversity by promoting attention to biodiversity, sharing knowledge and achieving successful results to improve biodiversity in the immediate surroundings.

At the Zwolle childcare centre ’t Werkel, children aged zero to thirteen are encouraged as much as possible to play outside in the nature garden, where they can climb trees, drag branches, play hide-and-seek in the bushes, build dens and play with mud. There is also a vegetable garden where the children grow various seasonal vegetables. ’t Werkel uses only organic products and as many recycled materials as possible.

Recognition

“This prize means a lot to us; it is recognition and appreciation for the way we do our work,” says ’t Werkel founder Mariëlle Hettinga. “Many children spend very little time outdoors nowadays. Yet research shows that a natural outdoor environment has a positive effect on the development of young children. Communicating the importance of nature and its biodiversity is embedded in the way we work. We try to teach this to the children through play.”

Picking nettles

The children learn about the importance of the cycle of nature, pick nettles and use them to make soup, but they also head to ditches in the forest with an identification chart to see what is moving and living there. Every year, the children take part in National Nature Work Day and Earth Day, doing their bit for biodiversity and helping to clean up nature. In Zwolle, the children keep the Tiny Forest (a planted forest) free of litter and learn about the different trees found there.

Sixteen entrepreneurs

The green childcare centre had to compete with sixteen entrepreneurs from Overijssel who were eligible for the Groene Twinkeling Award.