Press releases

Touch, smell, marvel: children from the municipal daycare center Im Grüntal had a special opportunity to take a look behind the scenes during a trip to the Aachen municipal nursery. "We want to give the children an understanding of nature and plants in particular, and thus also of the responsibility that we all bear for our environment," explains Andreas Wolff, dispatcher and trainer at the municipal nursery.

Together with gardener Laia Kirn, the children discover a variety of plants on a tour of the greenhouses and the foil tunnel on the grounds on Krefelder Straße. Cyclamen, horned violets, pansies and silverleaf, among others, are currently being grown for the fall planting in the city. Laia Kirn explains the steps the gardeners take to grow the plants in a child-friendly way. She also emphasizes: "It's about more than just beautifying the cityscape. Because we promote biodiversity and insect diversity with our planting." She demonstrates this using, among other things, a lavender, which the children also know from their everyday lives. "Because of its sweet nectar, lavender is very popular with many insects."

The tour continues. The children discover large containers in which the required potting soil is stored. This is mixed together in the city nursery. Without further ado, 40 children's hands disappear into the tubs and explore the properties of the material. At the end of the tour, there is a detour to the composting area, where some of the green waste from the city's green spaces is shredded and processed. The children are impressed by the variety they have experienced over the past two hours. "We are delighted if we can awaken their enthusiasm for nature and perhaps even our profession," says Andreas Wolff.

Kindergartens that are also interested in a guided tour of the municipal nursery can contact Andreas Wolff by email: andreas.wolff@mail.aachen.de.