What we did in 2025

This was 2025

Lelystad is a city full of nature: a green spot is never far away here. And by 2025, we will have made the city even greener. An even greener and nature-rich Lelystad is good for our health and also nicer to live in for people and animals. Take a look at some of our 2025 projects?

Ecological roadside management in the countryside

For instance, one of the projects was our roadsides in the outskirts of Lelystad. We decided in 2025 that we will manage all our roadsides in the outlying area ecologically. That's 240 hectares of roadsides that will consist of many more flowers, herbs and grasses from 2026. We mow these roadsides twice a year and dispose of the clippings. And in those places where good visibility is important, such as at intersections, we naturally mow more often. We do this because ecological verges are important for improving the quality of the soil on the verges and the water in the ditches next to them. We also have less nitrogen because of ecological verges, and of course these verges are also better for biodiversity. They attract more butterflies, bees and insects because they have more places to find food this way.

Ecological city verges

And those ecological verges are not just in the countryside. We have also had them in the city for over 30 years, such as along Oostranddreef. And in the city, by 2025, we will have sown more verges with beautiful mixtures of native flowers, herbs and grasses, such as along Stationsdreef. In the city, too, we mow these verges twice a year. We then feed the clippings, allowing the flowers, herbs and grasses to grow nicely again. And the great thing is: this increases biodiversity again. So you see more and more bees, butterflies, birds, hedgehogs and insects on these verges.

Flowering roundabouts

By 2025, we will also have more roundabouts in the city coming into bloom. In winter, you may not see that they are flowery roundabouts, but just wait until spring and you will see the roundabouts come into bloom. Like the Houtribdreef-Houtribweg roundabout, Houtribdreef-Westerdreef roundabout or Houtribdreef-Stationsdreef roundabout. And then the roundabouts don't just bloom; it also gets buzzing because of all the bees, bumblebees and insects that are happy with all the flowers from which they can get their nectar. The blooming roundabouts will soon look nice for us, and also very nice for nature.

The candy machine for bees

Speaking of feasting bees, did you know you can also contribute to more flowers for the bees? And it's really easy too. And for free! That's because the City Hall is home to the candy machine for the bees. From this "bee"-like candy machine, you can get a bag of flower seeds for free. Such a bag contains about 10 varieties of flowers specially chosen because they grow very well here in Lelystad. And if you sow these flower seeds in your garden or in a pot on your balcony, you will ensure that bees, bumblebees and also butterflies can find more nectar. Just in your neighbourhood.

Lots of plans and cooperation

In 2025, we organised meetings at the town hall. During an early morning breakfast, for instance, we updated all our green and nature partners on our plans. And of course discussed with them how we can now work together even better, so that together we can make nature in Lelystad greener and more biodiverse. And at another meeting, we handed over a handbook to the alderman for nature. That handbook contains all kinds of tips and measures on how we can work nature-inclusively and climate-adaptively. And in that handbook we also wrote down what we consider the minimum quality for Lelystad's nature. In other words: the Basic Quality Nature (BKN). We ourselves and our partners will use that handbook in all kinds of projects in public spaces.

Forest management and bulb planting in the Silent Forest

We were already carrying out major forest maintenance in the Silent Forest and completed the work in 2025. On Neighbourhood Day 2025, we took a walk through the forest with local residents. And explained what we have done and why. For example, there is a special puddle in the forest: a 2-in-1 puddle. When it rains a lot and for a long time, this puddle collects that rainwater. Then it doesn't all disappear into the ground at once. In addition, the plants make it an attractive place for toads. So the puddle is also a toad pool at the same time. To celebrate the completion of the work in the Silent Forest, and to thank the residents, we planted about a thousand bulbs together. We can't wait to see them bloom in spring!

Green Ambassadors

Many residents love our nature in Lelystad so much that they are proud to call themselves Green Ambassador. And as a Green Ambassador, you are committed to making the city greener. Green Ambassadors work together in and on nature. For instance, our Green Ambassador Gert works in his experience and exercise garden Bij De Ooievaar. Other Green Ambassadors manage a vegetable garden for the neighbourhood, maintain a bee field or plant bulbs to increase biodiversity in their neighbourhood. The Green Ambassadors also organised fun green activities together in 2025. Such as a workshop to create hotbeds for the grass snake, a workshop to build bat boxes and, together with the alderman, a bicycle ride along all Green Ambassador projects and initiatives. Well done, those Green Ambassadors!

Find out more about these Green Ambassadors!

From grass to green

In Lelystad, we have a lot of green. In the form of trees, parks, verges, public gardens and grass. That grass looks green, of course, but we like to make it even greener by turning it into flowery grass. In flowery grass, all kinds of herbs, grasses and flowers that insects love bloom. Like the lawn between Tjalk and Botter, which used to consist mainly of trees and grass. And grass is just grass. There is little food for animals and insects in grass alone. That's why in 2025 we changed a piece of ordinary grass here into flowery grass. And we have also created two woodland parks. These are strips of public greenery consisting of trees, shrubs and herbs native to the Netherlands. This is much better for nature!

Species day

So by 2025, we will be busy making Lelystad even greener and richer in nature. Because the more biodiversity the better it is for all the animals living in Lelystad, such as bees, bumblebees, butterflies, insects, hedgehogs, sparrows. But how do we know that what we do is really good for them? We investigate this at the Species Search Day. We organised this in 2025 in the Woldpark. Together with experts, residents went looking for exactly what lives in all that greenery. And also in the water. And even on the trunks of trees and on paving stones, where mussels and fungi live! Because that too is nature and you can find it everywhere.

New Nature Knowledge Centre

We have gained a lot of knowledge about Lelystad's nature in 2025. Like the different types of animals and plants we found during the Species Search Day. Or with the nature-inclusive and climate-adaptive work handbook. We like to share all this knowledge with other experts, nature organisations, schools, other municipalities, the province and other nature lovers. We do so through the New Nature Knowledge Centre. Through the Knowledge Centre we share our knowledge on new nature during meetings. And we think together about the nature of the future. We would like the Knowledge Centre to create a network of education, businesses, governments and nature organisations.

Greening the Neringpassage

So at the town hall, we make plenty of plans and organise meetings for nature in Lelystad. But we also start many greening projects from the town hall. Like in the Neringpassage in Lelystad's Stadshart. You probably know this street: lots of stones, lots of grey, lots of concrete. We are going to change that and make this street considerably greener. We started doing this in 2025: we created plant beds. And placed grids against the walls. Plants will soon be able to grow against them. This will make this street greener and cooler, because the green against the walls will make it less hot in summer. We are going to do a lot more to make it greener and cooler. But be patient: you will see the result of this street makeover in the course of 2026.

Green play and meeting place in Schermer Lelystad-Haven

On the eve of 2025, the residents of the Schermer in Lelystad-Haven had a very nice party! Indeed, they opened their new play and meeting place in December 2025. The schoolchildren and residents of the neighbourhood contributed to the design in 2025. There is fun and exciting equipment to play on, clamber over or crawl through. And there are benches where you can have a chat with each other. We have also created a food forest. So in 2026 you will be able to play, meet and eat here, in the middle of nature.