Debrecen4U
June 10, 2025
Debrecen can become the European Green Capital thanks to the outstanding approach
Community gardens, awareness-raising school programmes, a bird park promenade and many other good practices: the city’s Green Codex measures include countless awareness-raising programmes that strengthen the residents’’s commitment to sustainability and environmental protection. These exemplary programmes also play a prominent role in Debrecen being included in the TOP 10 candidates for the European Green Capital competition.
Debrecen’s first community garden opened its doors five years ago in Vénkert. Since then, dozens of locals have been enthusiastically taking care of the plants in the raised beds. The housing estate kitchen garden was created as part of the Green City Programme, and since then, gardening has also been possible in Újkert and Tócóskert among the panel houses.
“It’s a pleasant pastime in which we get pleasantly tired, and then we have good conversations on the benches afterwards, and we also learned a lot from the university students. From proper composting to which plants can be planted with what, what to plant next to, when to plant them, how to dry them,” community garden manager Gyuláné Nagy pointed out.
Debrecen has developed a number of good green practices in recent years. Community gardens, the Parkerdő bird park promenade, insect hotels or even hedgehog “garages” – these programmes that strengthen environmental awareness are also included among the measures of the city’s Green Codex. All of these play an important role in Debrecen being included in the TOP 10 candidates for the European Green Capital competition.
Environmental education is also a major focus in the “cyvis” city. For example, the Nagyerdei Kindergarten regularly holds programmes on environmental protection themes for children. In addition to being animal and plant-friendly, the institution has already won the Green Kindergarten title twice. Last year, “Klímanócskák” also joined the national green awareness-building programme.
“In this natural environment, children unnoticeably get to know the environment, plants, and animals. The environment provides countless opportunities for active learning about the outside world,” Director of the Nagyerdei Kindergarten Valéria Makrai noted.
Debrecen schoolchildren and kindergarteners can learn more about the importance of environmental protection through many interactive programmes, exhibitions and presentations, while learning the practice of sustainability. Such awareness-raising programmes help to integrate environmental awareness into the everyday lives of Debrecen families.
“We got involved in school programmes because we know that our activities not only shape attitudes, but also facilitate learning and even teaching. We have a lot of professional forums, school exhibitions, study competitions, festivals and family days behind us,” head of Természettár Zoltán Váradi added earlier.
The Debrecen Green Codex includes 50 measures that cover all areas of environmental protection and sustainability.
Source:dehir.hu |Photo credit: Facebook Debrecen Városa
