Dry paths and more space for bees in renovated Argonautenpark

The municipality will soon renovate Argonautenpark. Peter Korten from the municipality explains what changes will be made and why the park will look different afterwards.

Argonautenpark is located on Argonautenweg. The park is an important area for plants and animals. Neighbourhood residents also come here for recreation. ‘To keep it that way, we are renovating the park,’ Korten explains. ‘Little has been done here for some time. For example, there will soon be a brand-new playground, because the current one is outdated. We are also making the park water-resistant. Some paths are so wet that you cannot use them at certain times of the year.’

That is why the municipality will lay out different paths. ‘We will raise or relocate a number of paths. For other paths, we will create a berm where rainwater can drain away. This way, the entire park will remain accessible to everyone all year round.’

More space for bees

But the municipality is doing more to give nature more space. Korten: ‘We have already planted 30 new trees. When the work starts, there will be a lower piece of land where water can occasionally remain. This will create a wet area where insects and other animals will gather.’

In addition, there will be a bee landscape. This is an area specially designed for bees and other insects. Korten explains how they will do this: ‘Around the large field, we will create small slopes. The area will then be sown with a special Rotterdam flower mix. This mix contains flowers and herbs that grow in this region. They provide plenty of nectar and pollen. This is food for bees, butterflies and other insects. This way, they will also nest in this area, which is good for nature.’

Work to start soon

The plan is to start the work at the end of March. ‘Whether the new trees can be planted this spring or not until autumn is not yet certain. However, we expect the project to be completed within a year.’ During the work, there may sometimes be some inconvenience. If a path is being worked on, it will be temporarily closed. The rest of the park will remain open during the project. ‘The result will be that people no longer have wet feet. At least, not just like that,’ Korten concludes.

More information about the renovation of Argonautenpark can be found on the page Hillegersberg-Schiebroek. Link opens an external page in a new browser tab.