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From 23 to 26 May 2011 Dutch Eurosite member Staatsbosbeheer hosted a visit of ten members of the COFREEN project from Finland, Estonia and Latvia. The COFREEN project is developing concepts for alternative use of reed – i.e. for bio-energy and as building materials.

Roelof Heringa and Anneleen Jacobs from the Staatsbosbeheer team developed the programme together with the Services department, with visits to projects in the Netherlands and Germany.

The obvious start of the programme was the Wageningen University (WUR): the source of knowledge. The Wageningen University examines the alternative use of reed, as well as refining Miscanthus, a crop which is very similar to reed, because of, amongst other things, its rapid growth and yields.

The route took them along a company that grows Miscanthus in Velen (Germany), the reed field trial of WUR on the Lankheet estate in Haaksbergen, the Kompetenzzentrum in Werlte (Germany), the reed project in the Weerribben, the ACCRES research institute in Lelystad and the bio-energy plant in Alkmaar.