Little by little

Dankort wants to support Danish nature and contribute to the collective effort to restore nature across the country. The Danish Nature Fund is a strong partner for this purpose, as every øre donated goes directly to protecting and expanding wild, lasting nature in Denmark – 1 øre at a time. 

There are many important causes we could have chosen to support through Dankort Øremærket. We’ve chosen Danish nature because it’s something we all share in Denmark, something we all enjoy and have a responsibility to care for. Unfortunately, nature in Denmark is struggling, and both animals and plants are disappearing. By working together with The Danish Nature Fund, we can make a real difference for nature in Denmark — so that both current and future generations can benefit from it. 

The Danish Nature Fund (Den Danske Naturfond) buys, protects, and restores nature across Denmark to ensure unique nature experiences and permanent nature conservation.  The Nature Fund is a private foundation that owns and manages over 23 natural areas, open to the public all year round. Their goal is to give everyone better access to the animals and plants that make Danish nature special.  Founded in 2015, the Nature Fund is independent and not tied to any special interests. 

No, they do not wish to encourage overconsumption. Their role in the partnership with Dankort is simply to receive a donation of 1 øre when you make a payment you were going to make anyway. Every øre they receive is turned into more wild nature in Denmark – in natural areas where everyone can experience and enjoy nature all year round. 

No, we do not wish to encourage overconsumption. On the contrary, we hope that consumption in Denmark happens thoughtfully and with consideration for nature, climate, and the environment. This initiative is about choosing Dankort when you're making a payment anyway – if you want to make a free and automatic contribution to more wild nature in Denmark. 

No. All donations happen automatically and at no cost to you as a Dankort cardholder. 

No, it’s not your money being donated. Dankort donates 1 øre per transaction to the Danish Nature Fund (Den Danske Naturfond). The same goes for partner companies involved in the initiative.

Dankort donates automatically to the Danish Nature Fund when you pay with Dankort. If you don’t wish to support the concept, you can choose to use another form of payment instead of Dankort.

All monetary donations from Dankort to the Danish Nature Fund come from Dankort itself, which is owned by Nets/Nexi. If you, as a consumer, want to make a donation yourself, you can do so via The Nature Fund’s website: https://naturfonden.dk/english/ 

Yes, Dankort, like other private entities, is free to donate money to charitable and non-profit causes. 

Our partners donate an additional øre on top of Dankort’s own, when you pay with Dankort at a partner store or use a Dankort issued by a partner bank. That means up to 3 øre can be donated per transaction – completely free and automatic for you as a cardholder. 

The Danish Nature Fund’s protected areas are spread across all of Denmark – from Marielyst Enge on Falster to Grønnestrand by the North Sea in Jammerbugten. Discover the areas here: www.naturfonden.dk/oplev-naturen.

The focus of the collaboration is to give people in Denmark the opportunity to enjoy nature here and now – and to secure nature. 

Planting trees takes a very long time – sometimes more than 100 years – before a forest becomes old enough to provide a proper habitat for the animals and plants that belong in a natural forest. 

The Danish Nature Fund aims to make the biggest possible difference for nature and biodiversity. They do that best by:  • Protecting and improving existing nature  • Restoring natural landscapes from the past  • Helping new trees grow by assisting the spread of wild tree seeds or planting wild, non-cultivated tree species 

Many rare and endangered species simply can’t wait 100 years for a forest to mature – they risk disappearing long before that. That’s why they use different approaches. 

They benefit the climate by, for example, converting agricultural land into natural areas and restoring what are known as low-lying marshlands. Fortunately, many of the ways we help nature also often have a positive climate effect. For instance, they restore bogs, which has an immediate and lasting effect on the climate. An example is in their nature area, Hals Mose in North Jutland at the mouth of the Limfjord, where they save the climate 2,300 tons of CO2 every year. 

Biodiversity is all the different living organisms that exist naturally on land and in water. It includes the many species of wild animals, plants, fungi, mosses, lichens – and everything else that lives in nature. It’s everything from squirrels, swans, and bumblebees to butterflies and orchids. 

We want more of all of it. More animals and plants – and a greater variety. And we want them to have the freedom to thrive in large, connected landscapes that support food chains, wild habitats, and the interdependence between species. 

Nature needs three things:  • Space – large, connected areas where wildlife can thrive, and people can enjoy nature.  • Priority – nature must be allowed to exist on its own terms. Natural areas shouldn't have to compete with farming, roads, or cities.  • Time – nature must be given time. We need patience and must allow it to unfold at its own pace. When we give nature space and time, it can restore itself – it's a perfectly functioning ecosystem.  The more types of natural habitats we can provide for wild species, the better their chances of surviving and thriving – both in numbers and diversity. 

Read more about biodiversity in Denmark here: Biodiversitet i Danmark | Sådan løser vi biodiversitetskrisen : Naturfonden 

The Nature Fund gives nature more space. They protect areas that are already rich in biodiversity and restore others to create more and better habitats for wild animals and plants. 

Restoring nature can involve, for example:  • Letting water flow freely by removing drainage and reestablishing natural water levels in areas that used to be bogs, meadows, or wetlands before being drained by humans. We've done this in several of our nature areas, including Hals Mose, Kollund Skov, Marielyst Enge, and Mandø. Water is life – it creates habitats for countless species. 

• Replacing invasive plants and non-native conifers with natural deciduous forests. This creates more light, diversity, and habitats for animals, plants, and fungi. They've done this in places like Hammer Bakker (north of Aalborg), Hals Mose (at the mouth of the Limfjord), and Bøtøskoven (near the Marielyst summerhouse area). 

• Transforming former farmland into wildflower meadows, grasslands, and heathlands, where native plants can grow freely again. This also gives wild bees, rare butterflies, and other insects more places to find food. They've done this in Læsten Bakker, Mols Bjerge, and Hammer Bakker. 

• Letting deciduous trees grow old instead of cutting them down, as is done in most Danish forests. Denmark lacks untouched, old-growth forest. So far, they’ve secured untouched forest in eight nature areas. 

Grazing animals like horses and cattle help create a more diverse and richer natural environment. Many species of plants and animals in Danish nature depend on grazing. Without it, their habitats disappear.

Read more about horses and cattle in Nature Fund areas here: Spørgsmål og svar, FAQ, om dyr - Naturfonden : Naturfonden

The Nature Fund has both fenced areas with horses and cattle and unfenced areas. For example, untouched forests like Kollund Skov, Kraruplund, and Frejlev Skov are without fencing.

Read more about horses and cattle in Nature Fund areas here: Spørgsmål og svar, FAQ, om dyr - Naturfonden : Naturfonden

No animal should be left starved or suffer neglect in the Nature Fund’s grazing areas. Animals must be monitored as required by law, and the recommendations from supervising veterinarians must be followed. The Nature Fund does not own animals itself. Instead, they enter agreements with local municipalities, national parks, or private animal keepers, who own the animals used for grazing. These agreements require full compliance with animal welfare legislation and all other relevant laws and regulations.

Read more about horses and cattle in Nature Fund areas here: Spørgsmål og svar, FAQ, om dyr - Naturfonden : Naturfonden

For most stores in Denmark, it’s cheaper when customers pay with Dankort compared to other cards. That’s because the fee for using Dankort is usually lower. Dankort prices in physical sales are also regulated by law and approved by the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority.