the journey of the cycling tree
On 11 April 2025, a tree will embark on the journey of a lifetime, completing a 5,000-kilometre bike tour across nine countries over the space of five months. Along the way, we will meet people, share the Circle4Change story and meet with other inspiring initiatives for a sustainable future. The tour will take the tree from Netherlands to Germany, Poland, Czechia, Austria and Slovenia, with a key stop in Nova Gorica-Gorizia, the European Capital of Culture 2025. We will then cycle through Italy, France and Belgium, returning in Leeuwarden in September.
a tree touring to a sustainable future
Circle4Change is a cultural initiative by landscape artist Bruno Doedens, known from Bosk. After trees roamed the streets of Leeuwarden for Arcadia 2022, a tree will now travel all across Europe. This 5,000-kilometre journey will connect people, communities and landscapes, as we seek to invite everyone to set up sustainable initiatives together. The tree symbolises the connection between human kind and nature, with the circular route creating a living landscape artwork that shows how we can make the earth a better place, rather than burdening the planet we call home.
it’s my birthday, so i’m planting a tree
During the tour, we’ll be sowing the seeds of a new tradition: the Birthday Tree. In a nutshell, we’re inviting everyone celebrating their birthday to plant a tree to make the world a greener place. Every kilometre, we’ll hand out a Birthday Tree, creating a growing network of birthday trees along the route. From Germany to Slovenia and Italy to Belgium, people will plant their own, living memory. A small gesture with a major effect. The tour will connect countries and landscapes and weave together cultures, rituals and generations. Together, we are building a European landscape artwork by harnessing radical imagination to connect and mobilise people towards a sustainable planet in harmony with nature.
join circle4change
The movement starts here. Want to contribute?
- Join us for a stage of the route.
- Sponsor a kilometre and a birthday tree.
- Start your own local initiative on or around the circle.
Arcadia is a co-producer of Circle4Change.
Curious, want more information, or keen to help make the world a more beautiful place?