Since 1966, a special process has been underway in the center of Heerenveen-Midden. On this kilometer-long and 20-meter-wide green strip, plants, animals, and humans work together without any one dominating. It is a place where space is given time, and time space.
It is an ecocathedral , based on the idea of Louis Le Roy (1924–2012). Le Roy advocated that every place in the Netherlands should designate 1% of its territory as an ecocathedral. This does not necessarily have to be done using stones, but it should be a place where humans, plants, and animals work together endlessly. Without a fixed plan, without an end goal, and with free energy (volunteers). He called this a symbiotic twin city . Nowadays, you might call it a 'rewilding' project, although humans still play an important role in ecocathedrals.
This website informs you about the history, present, and future plans of this special piece of public space.
This map (source: Bomenregister.nl) clearly shows how the Le Roy garden is the green heart of the Heerenveen-Midden district:
This aerial photograph of the Le Roy Garden beautifully shows that the heart of Heerenveen-Midden is a green lung of trees.
