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Tree felling on campus

Press & Communications

Tree felling on campus

The oak trees cut down for the DESYUM visitor centre will be returned to the campus as benches. Image: DESY

The development plan for DESY was drawn up more than 60 years ago with the aim of achieving the greatest possible development potential for research and science. The land on which the campus was originally built, by the way, used to be an airfield, so not really not any lush scenery or healthy, mature nature. It was decided at the time of the start of DESY construction to leave some areas fallow and only develop them further when there was a need. This need is now there because DESY continues to grow – new research areas have been added and the number of employees is growing. Existing research infrastructures cannot be demolished, or at most only partially. An outward expansion of the campus is not possible. That is why the previously fallow areas are now being developed in order to keep DESY's scientific operations competitive.

All tree felling has been approved and will be compensated for at least one to one. Of course, the newly planted trees will need a few years to reach the ecological performance of the old trees. For the upcoming measures, the compensation areas will therefore even be doubled so that they extend beyond the campus boundaries. DESY is currently in discussion with the city of Hamburg and the district of Altona about this.

And another important point: DESY takes ecological aspects into account in all construction measures. For example, three facades of the planned hall in front of Building 3 will be greened. At the already existing Building 36, DESY has built the largest façade and roof greening in Hamburg. Behind Building 1 and the European XFEL, areas are currently being extensively renaturalised and converted into more valuable wetland biotopes. Rainwater management is also being further expanded so that DESY does not lead precipitation from the campus into the public sewage system, for example. To this end, roads have also been unsealed and made permeable to water.

Incidentally, the wood from the oaks on the DESYUM site will remain here on the premises. DESY's carpentry workshop will use it to make benches for the campus and other things.