Landgoed De Goudfazant, better known as 't Bosje, is a place in the Markdal below Breda with old oak lanes, a wooded avenue, grassland, forest plots, wooded banks and pollarded willows. Family and friends work there together to maintain and climate-proof nature. As part of LIFE Climate Forest, for instance, some nine different tree species have now been planted in the spit instead of the robina plantation that used to be there.

In 2019, third-generation Dirk and Mariëlle Evers became owners of 't Bosje: "This used to be a production forest with all pine. Together with Harm van den Heuvel of Bosgroep Zuid Nederland, we then first drew up a management plan for the forest and nature areas within our estate. This became a practical plan that we really had a hand in implementing outside, which we then picked up step by step together with family and friends."

"With de Bosgroep, we took a focused look at how to make the forest more diverse. This was also really necessary with a view to the future. Along the meadow, for instance, there was a whole row of oaks and hundreds of trees were covered in caterpillars. Furthermore, in the old production forest a lot of pines fell down due to the drought. We also see a terrible advance of brambles and nettles. All that does make you think."

"When we got the opportunity through Bosgroep Zuid Nederland to participate in the European LIFE Climate Forest project, we grabbed it with both hands. If you can get over 500 trees in 10 different climate-smart species, you don't say no to that. That gives us lots of opportunities to try out what works well. We used these trees in various places. For instance, in the spike where my brother had a robina plantation before. We wanted to make that spot more diverse and we have since been able to put away quite a few trees there."

"With Harm, we also went through the forest to see which trees we wanted to keep and which other trees will go away to give space to the selected future trees. Like some beautiful native oaks we have here. Those are really monuments. But we discovered that not all future trees necessarily have to be the oldest and biggest trees."

"We have also learnt that when planting young from Climate Forest, we should make clusters of trees. Then you put, for example, 15 lime trees together and 5 cherry around them. The young trees then grow in clusters. To protect the saplings from the deer that pass through our area between the Mastbos and the Strijbeek forest, we placed bamboo poles around them. I think it's working, because we don't see any chewing or scuffing yet. The plantings are doing well anyway. We planted it over two weekends in November-December and now in early April everything is already budding. Lime, sweet cherry, hawthorn, hornbeam, hazel... we planted quite a few different species. We are far from being there yet and we are still learning, but we really enjoy making more nature together like this."