Municipalities of The Hague and Wassenaar give green light for Green Beach
On February 25, the municipalities of The Hague and Wassenaar jointly launched the "Green Beach Scheveningen Wassenaar" initiative. With this festive kick-off, both municipalities are taking an important step toward a more natural, biodiverse, and climate-resilient coastal area. The municipalities will no longer clean these stretches of beach with machines, giving nature free rein. Volunteers and visitors will be deployed to keep the beach clean.
The Green Beach is a coastal zone where nature is given more space. The Hague section of the beach starts on the beach, north of the last beach entrance at the end of the Zwarte Pad parking lot, and extends to the municipal boundary. Including the Wassenaar section, it is approximately 2 kilometers long. By allowing wind, sand, and sea to do their work, a dynamic landscape is created in which pioneer plants return, dune formation begins, and coastal birds and insects find more habitat. This not only makes the beach greener, but also more resistant to climate change. The responsible aldermen Laurens van Doeveren (Wassenaar) and Robert Barker (The Hague) kicked off the project. Various organizations involved were also present, such as representatives of the Zuid-Hollands Landschap Foundation, the Duinbehoud Foundation, Dunea, IVN Nature Education, Vogelbescherming Nederland, the Anemoon Foundation, and people from BeachClean & Workout.
Nature the space
The kick-off of the project was all about meeting, collaborating, and finding inspiration. Alderman Barker (The Hague): "With the Green Beach, we are giving nature back its place on our coast. By making room for plants, animals, and natural processes, we are not only enhancing biodiversity, but also the beach experience. This is an investment in a healthy, future-proof coast that everyone can continue to enjoy."
The Hague and Wassenaar together at the bar
The Groene Strand is located on the border between The Hague and Wassenaar. Alderman van Doeveren (Wassenaar): "In our beach vision for the Wassenaarse Slag, we have emphasized how important it is to intertwine recreation and nature experience more closely. Although the Green Beach is not located on the Slag itself, it fits in seamlessly with how we view the entire coastal area. We are working with all parties involved towards the Groene Strand Wimpel, the quality mark for sustainable and nature-friendly beach management. All this is supported by the efforts of many volunteers, and I am proud of what they are making possible here. That is why I am delighted that we are joining forces with The Hague to support this enthusiastic beach community in this endeavor."
