On day 3, May 5th 2026, aka Liberation day for the citizens of Netherlands, we had the opportunity to visit the famous tulip fields. We received a talk from the owner of the small tulip farm, where we learned that farmers strip the tulips of the flowers so the plants can direct more energy into growing larger bulbs. This allows them to generate higher revenue for their farm. After taking a few pictures, we took a quick stroll to the beach and tried fried fish.

Later we headed to Schoonschip, a floating neighborhood in Holland. There are around 46 houses and 140 people who live here. We learned that the entire community was founded on and is managed around sustainable practices. All of the houses are powered by solar energy and are designed to be highly energy efficient by producing more energy than they use. During construction, the residents had a red, orange, and green list of materials to determine which were allowed or prohibited based on sustainability. Another interesting detail is that their waste system uses a vacuum system that reroutes the waste to extract its nutrients, like the phosphate and natural gas. Some residents collect rainwater to water their plants and have floating island gardens where they grow pear trees. Additionally, some use carpool or bicycles to minimize their carbon footprint.

Afterwards, and the last part of our day was the visit to the Edge’s headquarters. We observed the very modern, innovative, and green infrastructure that they designed. I really enjoyed how it radiated good energy and positivity. This even made me want to work there as it seemed an enjoyable environment to partake in. Overall, our day was filled with many sustainable and interesting visits, with also pretty view of tulips. I am looking forward to learning more ways sustainability can be seen and applied to our day to day lives. Can’t wait!