PROJECT

De små haver i De Gamles By

SERVICES

Baseline survey, biodiversity initiatives and management, Activity Day with 100 children, workshop with the gardening team

SPECIES

House Sparrow, Red-tailed Bumblebee

SIZE

2,100 m²

WHERE

Copenhagen N, Denmark

WHEN

2025

CUSTOMER

Copenhagen municipality

In the heart of Nørrebro, in De Gamles By, lies a small green oasis—a collection of community gardens leased by local institutions, with Byoasen as its closest neighbor. This spring, “De små haver” was given a new lease on life: The fences were opened up, a new entrance area was established to serve as both a gathering spot and a rainwater management solution, and along the edge, a long, winding brushwood fence snaked its way through the landscape as a natural element that invites both people and small animals inside. Building Biodiversity has surveyed the area and proposed new initiatives to further enhance biodiversity—including identifying specific focus species that the area can support.
On opening day, the gardens were buzzing with life. Building Biodiversity facilitated four engaging biodiversity activities, where the children got their hands dirty and discovered nature’s little miracles: – Setting up 14 house sparrow nesting boxes—small row houses with room for as many as 42 pairs of sparrows. – Shaping a special mixture of clay and sand, which was laid out for the enjoyment of soil-dwelling insects. – Filling the nesting chambers in bumblebee hives with soft material—a gift for the stone bumblebee and its buzzing relatives. – Setting up water dishes in the gardens to provide water for both birds and insects.

Focus Species

Overview of Various Target Species

House sparrow

The house sparrow is a small, social bird that often lives close to people. It eats seeds and small insects and likes to nest in cavities in buildings. Shrubs, seed-bearing plants, and good nesting sites provide it with shelter and food.

Red-tailed bumblebee

The stone bumblebee is recognizable by its black body and red abdomen. It feeds on nectar and pollen and is an important pollinator of many flowering plants. It often builds its nest in cavities near the ground, such as under rocks or in old mouse burrows.

A total of about 100 children participated, divided among four different booths. With the nature guide from Children, Nature, and Environment (City of Copenhagen), they made seed bombs and plant-based lunch boxes. With Le Bureau, they designed colorful signs for the birdhouses and received guidance on composting from Byoasen.

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