the sunbeams tree planting event on 20 March was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who pledged trees came along - especially the sunshine! A full report will be posted here soon. In the meantime you can see some photos in our picasa album - https://picasaweb.google.com/eu.sunbeams.eu/TPE2011# - check back regularly as we will be updating it with photos as they come in.

Following is some useful information in preperation for the tree planting event on 20 March 2011.

Organisation

The tree planting event is organised by sunbeams with the technical assistance of the Flemish Forestry Association (VBV - Vereniging voor Bos in Vlaanderen) and the support of the King Baudouin Foundation (BreXpat), the Agency for Nature and Forest, and the Flemish Government.

Location

The forest will be planted in the village of Oetingen, which is in the commune of Gooik, 20km west of Brussels.

The address of the site is Frankrijkstraat 10, however there will be limited parking in the adjacent streets so we encourage you to park in the town square (Kerkplein, 1755 Gooik - Lat. Long. 50?46'23.22"N  4?03'47.76"E or 50.77305334702715,4.063235521316528) which is a short walk from the site. The walking route will be signposted for you.

Public Transport

You can travel to the site on public transport from Brussels Station in an hours, using a train and 2 buses. Trains depart about every 2 hours.
You can use the De Lijn journey planner to plan your route. 
The destination information is:
Aankomst gemeente: GOOIK
Straat: FRANKRIJKSTRAAT (OETINGEN)
Nr. 10

Timing

The event takes place between 10.00 and 16.00 on Sunday 20 March 2011 and you may come whenever suits you. Larger groups have been asked to co-ordinate their arrival with us to avoid too many people arriving at the same time. There will be a formal welcome for several dignitaries at 11.30.

Clothing & Footwear

We have arranged that it will not rain on Sunday and the temperature will be moderate, however please keep in mind that you will be in a field with long grass so please dress suitably and wear sturdy, waterproof footwear.

Registration

On arrival please go to the registration tents where you will be given the appropriate number of tags for your trees.

Payment

If you have not yet paid for your tree(s) please be prepared to pay with cash on the day. If you have made a transfer since Wednesday please bring a copy as proof of payment.

Planting

After registration you will be given a short demonstration on how best to plant your tree(s). The holes will be prepared in advance and spades will be available for your use.

Afterwards...

Once you have planted your tree(s) you are welcome to stay and enjoy the atmosphere for as long as you like. Several organisations will have stands for you to visit, including: Reason2.be (bio-basket delivery, with hot soup to sample!), Brussels Gardener's Club (gardening), Jeugdbond Voor Natuur (Nature), Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen (Birds),

As well as making Belgium greener, planting trees with sunbeams will help reduce your carbon footprint. Here are some facts about CO2:

• Europe produces the equivalent of 9 tonnes of CO2 per person per year (so everybody should plant 40 trees!)
• 1 tree represents roughly 0.2 tonnes of CO2  saved per year
• Which is approximately the CO2 produced by:
  • 1 return flight Brussels-Dublin
  • 1,000km in an average car (Volkswagen Golf)
  • generating 350kWh of electricity – the average person in Belgium uses 2,263kWh per year (6.5 trees) whilst in Germany it’s only 1,533kWh (4.4 trees)

Please note that the figures above are only intended as a rough guide. The amount of CO2 produced various means varies greatly and the amount of CO2 absorbed by trees also varies based on species, location, age etc.

WHAT: The 2^nd Sunbeams tree planting event! As a contribution to the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Billion Tree Campaign, Belgians and expatriates of all ages will join forces in Gooik on Sunday, March 20th, 2011 to plant a forest of several thousand trees in a single day. The initiative is organized by Sunbeams with the technical assistance of the forest association of Flanders or Vereniging voor Bos in Vlaanderen (VBV). This initiative is supported by the King Baudouin Foundation (BreXpat), the Agency for Nature and Forest, and the Flemish Government.

As well as planting a forest in Belgium, participants at this Sunbeams event will be making a financial contribution to the planting of a green corridor in the Republic of the Congo, a project organized by Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots program.

Media attending the event will be able to:

• Interview tthe EC Commissioner for Environment (Mr. Janez Poto?nik), the British Ambassador, (Mr. Jonathan Brenton), the Slovene Ambassador (Mrs. Anita Pipan), the founder and president of Sunbeams (Mrs. Ilke Pedersen-Beyst), the representative of UNEP (Mrs. Cecilia Morales), the director of the VBV (Mr. Bert De Somviele), and other key guests, including a delegation from the Slovenian Embassy who will be commemorating their national independence.
• Take human interest video or photographs of the event organizers, the site of the new forest, and event participants, including children from many Belgian and international schools actively planting trees together.

WHEN: 11.30 a.m. on Sunday, March 20th, 2011 (Official Welcome)

WHERE: Frankrijkstraat 10, 1755 Gooik.

WHO: Sunbeams is a not-for-profit association that helps people living in Belgium take practical steps towards living a more environmentally-responsible lifestyle.

The VBV (Vereniging voor Bos in Vlaanderen) is a key European participant in UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign and has pledged to plant 1 million trees in Flanders. They provide the technical support to the Sunbeams event.

UNEP is the voice for the environment within the United Nations system. Its Billion Tree Campaign is a tree planting initiative that has already seen over 10 billion trees planted worldwide.

TO ATTEND: To register your interest in attending this event, please contact Ilke Pedersen-Beyst: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (+32 (0)488 878 014).

MORE INFO: www.sunbeams.eu, www.vbv.be, www.1miljoenbomen.be, www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign/

The European Union Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Janez Potocnik, will be amongst the participants at the 2nd 'plant a forest with sunbeams' event, which takes place on Sunday 20 March 2011 in Gooik, 20km west of Brussels.The Commissioner will join other members and officials of the Slovenian community in Belgium to plant 50 Lime trees to celebrate Slovenian national day.

In March 2010 expats and Belgians came together for the first 'plant a fores't with sunbeams' event. Over 2,000 trees were planted in one day and are now bursting back into life with the return of spring. 

This year we have secured a bigger plot of land and hope to plant many more trees. As well as having a tree panted in your name, participating at the event cancontribute to offsetting your carbon emissions. You can either come along to the event and plant your own trees, or let us plant the tree for you and dedicate it to you or somebody special. It's a great way to commerate a special event or remember someone special.

The event is open to all and full details can be found here.

Your can see coverage of last year's event here.

sunbeams tree planting event - credit card payment

If you prefer to pay for your trees by credit card you may do so using paypal using the button below.
However in this case please note that, due to credit card processing fees, we have to add 10% to the cost of each tree.

	Number of Trees 1 Tree €5,50 2 Trees €11,00 3 Trees €16,50 4 Trees €22,00 5 Trees €27,50 10 Trees €55,00 20 Trees €110,00

Sunbeams is holding a free 'sprouting' workshop for anyone interested in learning how to sprout their own seeds
and beans for tasty, fresh and nutritious food that is easy to make at home.

Wednesday, 09 February 2011, 09:15 - 10:30

The workshop wil be held at:

Savoorke,
International Montessori School,
Bergestraat 24,
3080 Tervuren

info and registration: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

view all sunbeams events

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Register now to reserve you tree(s) at the sunbeams Tree Planting Event on March 20th, 2011.

We are using 'Eventbrite' to handle registration for this event, after filling in the form below you will be taken their site to complete your purchase.

If you do not wish to pay by credit card, you can pay by bank transfer, or in cash on the day, by selecting 'show other payment methods' below.

[If the form below does not display properly, you can visit the event page here]

Sunbeams Nature Workshop - Birds in Winter

30. January, 13.00h - 16.00h,

For children aged 7 and up.

Fee: 15€

Learn how to identify birds that stay during the winter and how to attract them to your garden, nature walk with winter bird survey.

More information: www.lokilino.com

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plant a forest with sunbeams

20 March 2011

FAQ

What is Sunbeams?

Sunbeams is a non-profit organization focused on bringing expatriates and Belgians together on nature and the environment. We are an international group of enthusiastic volunteers that provide practical-oriented information on an eco-friendly lifestyle in Belgium. We write articles, make presentations, conduct workshops and organize events. Please visit our website www.sunbeams.eu for more information.

What is VBV?

VBV stands for Vereniging voor Bos in Vlaanderen (forest association of Flanders). VBV works with Belgian authorities, schools, organizations, companies and private persons to plant forests in Belgium. They take care of the permission to turn a plot of land into a forest, prepare the ground and work with local forest rangers to select the appropriate species to be planted. They do a lot of activities on trees, publish a magazine and are very active in the UN Billion Tree Campaign.

What is the UNEP Billion Tree Campaign?

On 8 November 2006, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched the new campaign ‘Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign’ which encourages all sectors of society to plant at least one billion trees worldwide each year. In a call to further action, the UNEP set a new goal of planting seven billion trees by the end of 2009. Every individual or organization is encouraged to register their pledges and planted trees online while ensuring that the trees planted are indigenous and appropriate for the local environment.

Where can I find more information on the Billion Tree Campaign?

The UNEP has created a wonderful website that can provide you with further information regarding the campaign. This website is: www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign/index.asp

How do I register my pledges and trees for the Bilion Tree Campaign?

You don’t need to worry about registering your trees. Sunbeams and VBV will register all of the pledges and trees on your behalf. This way we can insure that every tree is counted, but not counted twice.

How much does it cost to plant a tree?

The cost to plant one indigenous tree is 5 euros. This price not only covers the tree, but includes the organization of the event, the land preparation including pre-dug holes, the tools needed to plant the tree(s), a biodegradable ribbon upon which to write your own ‘special message’ and a sticker identifying your participation and commitment to the environment. You will receive your sticker and ribbon(s) the day of the event.

A contribution from the five euros will also be given to a Congolese Roots and Shoots youth group, run under the auspices of The Jane Goodall Institute.  This group aims to plant a green corridor connecting two forests in their region.  The corridor will provide food and shelter for animals migrating from one forest to the other.  Local adults will be trained by the Jane Goodall Institute to protect the area.

Does all the money raised go to planting trees at this event?

While there will be no profit or fee for Sunbeams, VBV or the UNEP, a contribution of the money collected will be sent to a Roots and Shoots youth group in the Congo, to help them plant trees in their country.  All of the money raised does go towards planting trees – globally!

Can I donate without attending the event on March 20th?

Yes. You do not have to be present at the event to ‘plant a tree’ however; we do encourage everyone that is interested to join us that day.

Can we contact Sunbeams for fundraising ideas for our school/organisation?

Yes you can! If you have need for further assistance, please feel free to contact us and we will do what we can to help.

What is the deadline for receiving pledges and the money transfer?

The deadline for advance registrations is Friday 18 March 2011. However you can still come along to event and buy a tree on the spot.
We willl be planting extra trees and can still assign one to you even after the event.

If you wish to plant a large number of trees to let us This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it as possible, so that we can assign a designated plot.

Can I just come on the day?

Yes you can just turn up and pay cash as we will have plenty of spare trees. However we would much prefer if you register first to ensure the smooth operation of the event.

How is the money collected?

We ask that schools or organisations participating in the tree palnting have a designated person or system in place to collect the money for the entire group. Once all pledges have been received, we kindly ask that you send us one amount on behalf of the entire group.

What is the Sunbeams account number?

Our account is with Triodos bank:  523-0803235-53. Please clearly mention the Tree Planting Event AND full name of your school when you do the transfer.

What if someone is uncomfortable with giving cash or is giving a larger donation?

We then ask that they contact us directly at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We can then give them the information necessary to make their own deposit.

Are there age restrictions to planting a tree?

Anyone over the age of 5 years is welcome to plant their own tree after a short demonstration on the appropriate way to do it. After the event a park ranger will then ‘double check’ all of the planted trees.

Will you provide education materials or a presentation prior to the event?

As a prize to the first 10 organisations that commit to participate at the event, we, along with VBV, will come and put on an educational and funny presentation on the types of trees that will be planted as well as their importance to the environment. IIf you are among the first to commit, you will be notified as soon as possible and we will give presentations in the week of February 14^th – 18th.

Where is the forest going to be planted?

This year’s forest will be planted in Gooik, approximately 30km west of Brussels. Click here to see the exact location of plot.
Parking is limited at the site (Frankrijkstraat 10) so we suggest you park in Kerplein, 1755 Gooik, which is a 5 minute walk from the site. Signs will show you exactly where to go.

Is transportation to and from the event provided?

We are working on the logistics of transportation. As we get closer to the event, we will be able to provide you with more information.

How was this location chosen?

This location was arranged through our partner VBV.

How will the forest be utilized?

There is a hiking trail that runs directly next to the pllt of land that will be planted, so you will be able to check on your trees whenever you would like.

What do we need to bring to the event?

All of the tools needed to plant your tree(s) will be provided for you. You just need to wear comfortable and appropriate outdoor clothing suitable for getting a little dirty. Wellington boots are recommended.

Will food be provided?

Food will not be provided at the event. We are currently in the process of meeting with different vendors to see if they would be interested in selling different food items, but for now, we recommend that you bring your own picnic to enjoy under your tree.

How will we know where to plant our trees?

The plot of land will be divided into sections and identified by school &/or organization. We will have volunteers present to direct you.

Will the particpants be safe?

Whilst we will do everything to ensute that everyody is safe at all times, as a small organization we do not have the volunteer capacity to look after every section, therefore we ask that the groups provide supervision over their own designated space.

How do I receive more information about the event?

Please feel free to contact Leanne at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any specific questions you may have. Please also check this website for regular updates.

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