Who says that all forests have to exist on land? – An idea thought up by artist Jorge Bakker will give the world a new sense of foresting, as it involves letting loose 20 buoys that are designed to hold a tree, much like a planting pot, into an industrial waterfront in the Dutch city known as Rotterdam.
The installation project, dubbed Dobberend Bos, which means bobbing forest, aims to add some green to an otherwise barren city. These buoys will be launched into the water in March of this year, allowing the trees to float on water and get their water right from the water they’re floating in.
The benefit of the water-planting project is that all of the empty space that would typically just be a flat horizon of water will now be occupied by greens and nature.
Inside of the buoys will be 20 Dutch Elm Trees. Such a concept isn’t easy at all, but testing in 2014 showed that it was possible to do. Getting the balance just right in these buoys so that they don’t capsize can be difficult, especially when the tree will grow in random directions and the roots will grow how they want to as well.
Keeping the balance as the trees grow will require regular maintenance so that one side doesn’t being heavier than the other and so that the trees and continue to float for years to come.
Such a feat challenges engineering, as well as our understanding of plant life. Plants are very good at adapting to nature, and they’ll typically find a way to grow to fit into the area they’re placed in, but how much adapting can they do before it’s too much?
If everything goes well, perhaps similar projects can be implemented around the world, as large groups of trees are known to be good for helping cool the environment and help with creating oxygen.
Source: Dobberend Bos
