While we are busy building a community in the delicious jungle in Aalst, we got the chance to join the ‘Stiemerhub’ in Genk. Genk has a special meaning for me because the porridge comes from As. I remember Pino from the music studio in Zwartberg. The Staalstraat with the nice grocery shops open on Sundays. The official inauguration of Genk as a City with spectacular fireworks was once one of the events I participated in. With ramblas on the C-Mine and artists with roaring names such as El-Tatoo del Tigre to name a few. There you have it….
The place to be
The André-Dumontlaan is one of the valley edges of the Stiemer. A row of houses along the Dumontlaan has been purchased by the City, enabling greater integration between the Stiemervallei and the Thorpark. Ten buildings were demolished, but two are still left at 16 André Dumontlaan to make way for the StiemerHUB.
The StiemerHUB tries for 3 years to be a place that pays attention to the Stiemer program and brings more life to this part of Waterschei, as a source for culture-nature development along the Stiemer.
The HUB is a place where residents of Genken can learn how we can live with nature, how we can work with nature, how we can be inspired by nature and how we can learn to protect natural environments. The HUB can become a place for the plans of various citizens and organizations. What happens in and around this place varies from season to season. There is always room for new life.
The bounty of nature
In Genk we mainly want to focus on companies and on setting up a learning network for education. The location near the Thor business park is perfect for this.
For individuals who want to experience the benefits of forest bathing, we work out a tailor-made natural welfare plan. The Stiemerhub is also a perfect location for webinars and lectures and to exchange expertise and knowledge. There is still a long way to go to integrate nature as a ‘prescription’ into daily care. We also want to inspire that sector. Where possible, we can also build bridges with our Smuljungle in Aalst and our broad network.
Research has shown that 2.5 hours of nature every week has a positive effect on our health and happiness. Trees secrete essential oils (Phyoncides). This natural aroma therapy lowers blood pressure, regulates sugar levels, strengthens the immune system. The production of NK cells that are responsible for fighting tumors is stimulated. It speeds up the healing process, reduces stress and counteracts feelings of anxiety.
Contact us for a tailor-made offer. Mail to trees@bark.today
