Ruben Hein &
Ruurd Jelle van der Leij
Activities:Landscape restoration
Founder:Ruben Hein & Ruurd Jelle van der Leij
Launched:2022
Location:Europe
Introductie
A single shrub on average attracts a hundred species – bees, birds, butterflies, soil life and small mammals. “So, if you plant a hedge a hundred metres long with ten different types of shrubs, then – with a bit of luck – you’ll attract thousands of organisms”, says musician Ruben Hein. Together with ecologist Ruurd Jelle van der Leij, he founded Aanpoten (‘Step Up’) at the end of 2022. Since then, the duo has planted 21,000 shrubs. “We were done talking and wanted to get to work.”
From arable land to a mini nature reserve – the transformation of Ruurd Jelle van der Leij’s land. Photographer: Ruurd Jelle van der Leij
Just over three years ago, ecologist Ruurd Jelle van der Leij and musician Ruben Hein found themselves sitting together at the table on the Dutch talk show Op1. “I was in the middle of releasing a new album and wanted to plant a tree for every vinyl sold”, says Ruben. “And Ruurd Jelle was talking about a piece of arable land he had turned into a mini nature reserve within a few months, partly by planting 600 shrubs.” Afterwards, he said to me: ‘Why don’t you work with shrubs?’ He knew how much impact they have. We started talking, and that’s how Aanpoten (‘Step Up’ in Dutch) was born.”
“The concept is actually very simple”, Ruben says. “We crowdfund money, buy shrubs with it and plant them on land belonging to people who would like to have them.” Twice a year, the pair head out for three days at a time, with 5,000 shrubs in the back of their van – 250 per location. “If you plant them two rows deep, that comes down to about a hundred metres. By now we’ve planted 21,000 shrubs at 85 locations, and there are another 250 places on the list we still need to visit.”
Uitgelichte quote
We are really trying to restore what the landscape originally looked like
Ruben Hein and Ruurd Jelle van der Leij like to get their hands dirty. Photographer: Gabriela Hengeveld
The landowners who approach Ruben and Ruurd Jelle are a very diverse group. “Sometimes they’re farmers who have switched to regenerative agriculture and want to surround their young food forest with a hedge for protection. But there are also many private landowners with half a hectare or more who think: I want to do something with this land, but where do I start? Then this is a great first step.”
“We’re really trying to restore what the landscape originally looked like”, Ruben continues. “In the past, most fields were separated by hedges. If we bring that cultural landscape back, we can give biodiversity a huge boost.” That boost is badly needed, as the Netherlands has lost 85 percent of its species. “What’s more, a hedge also absorbs far more nitrogen than a fence.”
Uitgelichte quote
A hedge attracts far more life than a fence
By planting shrubs and hedges, we can give biodiversity a boost. Photographer: Gabriela Hengeveld
Ruben Hein: “There are so many people who want to do something. It’s not all doom and gloom.” Photographer: Gabriela Hengeveld
Tree frogs and otters
“If you give nature a small nudge, it does a lot of the work itself and recovery can happen surprisingly fast”, Ruben says. “My parents, for example, live in an area with a lot of livestock farming. It’s a vast green desert. Many people look at it and think: it’s green, so it must be good. But in a monoculture nothing lives, nothing blooms – and there is nothing to eat. If you plant a hedge every few kilometres in such an area, or create a few hectares of species-rich grassland, animals and insects suddenly have the chance to hop from island to island and survive.”
Ruben and Ruurd Jelle saw this happen on the three hectares of arable land that Ruurd Jelle transformed even before Aanpoten officially started, by planting 600 shrubs and creating a large body of water. “There are now tree frogs, kingfishers, otters and as many as 35 different species of dragonfly. All those animals drift in from the surrounding area, because they are looking for a place to live in an otherwise bare landscape.”
Uitgelichte quote
In Estonia there is far more raised bog in perfect condition, which is being excavated at speed for our potting soil
Nature has no borders
“In the Netherlands we have a small patch of raised bog that we are trying to protect with millions – fantastic, and rightly so. But in Estonia there is far more raised bog, in perfect condition, which is being excavated at speed for our potting soil”, Ruben explains. “That just doesn’t add up.” This is why the two men have added a new international branch to their foundation. “We buy nature reserves abroad purely to protect them, so they are no longer subject to the whims of an investor or the government. We don’t do anything else with them, apart from letting nature take its course and checking in now and then to see if everything is still going well.”
The first 22 hectares have already been purchased, in Estonia, for 25,000 euros of crowdfunded money. “In the Netherlands you’d barely be able to buy a single hectare for that, so by focusing on other countries we can make a much bigger impact”, Ruben explains. “And besides: Ruurd Jelle and I are birdwatchers, and if birds teach us anything, it’s that nature has no borders. Take the redwing: it breeds in Estonia in summer and comes to the Netherlands for winter. You have to protect both areas – otherwise the bird gains nothing.”
Uitgelichte quote
Many people look around and think: there is humanity, and there is nature
Ruben Hein: “If you give nature a small nudge, recovery can happen surprisingly fast.” Photographer: Gabriela Hengeveld
Ruurd Jelle van der Leij and Ruben Hein have already planted 21,000 shrubs with Aanpoten. Photographer: Gabriela Hengeveld
Rebuilding a relationship with life
“The technology, knowledge and financial resources to stop biodiversity loss have been there for a long time – that’s not where the problem lies. What we need is a new basic attitude. Many people look around and think: there is humanity, and there is nature. When in fact we are, of course, simply part of nature.” That is also why a simple action like planting a shrub matters, Ruben believes: it helps us rebuild a relationship with life. “And fortunately, there are already so many people who want to do something – including people you might not expect at first”, he emphasises. “Personally, I find that comforting, especially in times like these. It’s not all doom and gloom.”
Want to learn more about landscape restoration? Dive into our interview with ecologist John D. Liu.
Originally published on the 12th of February 2025. Latest update: 12th of January 2026.
