“Bernau Consciously Green”: A “Climate Tree on the Marketplace”

As a “preview” of the “Experimentation Week in September”, one of our CityTrees has now been placed on the marketplace in Bernau – the “heart of Bernau’s city center” – providing “clean, fresh air and a new seating option”.

Photo: City of Bernau

“As part of the Green Ribbon Bernau project, the city, together with many experts and partners, is focused on revitalizing the city center and transforming public spaces into climate-adapted, attractive areas.” This involves not only “enhancing spaces through the removal of sealed surfaces and the addition of new plantings”, but also “introducing urban furniture that invites people to linger, is durable, and adapts to the local climate”. In the future, a “green ribbon will wind its way through Bernau”.

“The Climate Tree on the marketplace brings together many aspects. It can be used for sitting and relaxing. Thanks to the moss and technology in the over three-meter-tall tree, polluted air is transformed into fresh and healthy air”, said Mayor André Stahl during the installation.

Photos: GCS

“During the summer, the CityTree is not only an excellent promotional tool for raising awareness about the Experimentation Week but also for highlighting the importance of climate protection”, said Christian Filter, Head of the City Planning Office. He added, “Like many other places, the marketplace heats up during the summer months. The Climate Tree now acts as a bio-air filter: it draws in polluted, warm air, which flows through the moss mats where it is cleaned and cooled. The clean, cooled air is then released back into the surroundings”.

The moss-based air cooler and filter “provides fresh air for 10,000 people per hour” with “a daily electricity consumption of 1.4 kilowatt-hours”. Most of the particles “are either directly metabolized or indirectly broken down by microorganisms and then converted into harmless biomass”, explained Robert Sänger regarding the moss’s filtration function.

Photo: City of Bernau

“The CityTree will be on display in Bernau until September 15, 2024. Information about this innovation can be accessed via a QR code. During the week of September 9-13, 2024, Bernau residents are invited to try out additional urban furniture and engage with the Green Ribbon Bernau project and climate adaptation.”

“Since 2022, Bernau has been part of the federal funding program ‘Sustainable Inner Cities and Centers’ through the project ‘Bernau Consciously Green.’ The program supports cities in addressing current challenges and overcoming structural issues in city centers by promoting innovative concepts and action strategies. In Bernau, the overall project is divided into several sub-projects, including the Green Ribbon Bernau and the ‘Marketplace of Opportunities.'”

Incidentally, the City of Bernau near Berlin made an interesting NEW comparison: The moss-filter CityTree “reminds them a bit of an oversized insect hotel”. 🐝 You can read more about the biodiversity benefits of these fresh air filters in “More Biodiversity with Moss in the City”.