Croatia’s largest reforestation project plants 2,000 new trees in Slunj
- by croatiaweek
- in News
(Photo: Roman Avdagić/Igor Pavlović)
Forest Rangers planted 2,000 new seedlings in the Croatian town of Slunj during the 90th reforestation action this past weekend.
The Croatian Scouts Association, Croatian Forests, and the HEARTH agency, organisers of the volunteer reforestation project “CO2MPENSATING BY PLANTING” and the educational program “Forest Rangers,” held another major reforestation action this Saturday in Slunj.
This is the third reforestation action in Slunj and the 90th overall since the project’s inception in Croatia.
On this Saturday, 120 Forest Ranger volunteers reforested the Donja Glina area of Slunj, where a total of 2,000 beech and spruce seedlings were planted.
(Photo: Roman Avdagić/Igor Pavlović)
This area had experienced the illness and drying out of coniferous forests, prompting the planting of new mixed forests. So far, over 300 Forest Ranger volunteers have participated in three reforestation actions in Slunj, planting a total of 4,000 new seedlings of beech, spruce, wild cherry, and mountain maple, creating a completely new mixed forest with the help of Croatian forest rangers and scouts.
(Photo: Roman Avdagić/Igor Pavlović)
In addition to the organizers, volunteers from the Croatian Scouts Association, foresters, and HEARTH representatives, volunteers from DM, one of the project’s partners, members of the “Children for a Better World” association from Samobor, students from the Slunj High School, and other citizens and volunteers joined the action.
(Photo: Roman Avdagić/Igor Pavlović)
Mr. Sven Kallen, the founder of the Dutch foundation Life Terra, a new partner of the CO2MPENSATING BY PLANTING project, also participated. This foundation, with funding from the European Union and other partners, supports volunteer reforestation actions in 25 European countries. With this action, Croatia has joined the project as the 25th country where the Life Terra foundation assists in tree planting.
(Photo: Roman Avdagić/Igor Pavlović)
The Mayor of Slunj, Mrs. Mirjana Puškarić, greeted all present and thanked the volunteers who dedicated their free time to forest restoration in the Slunj area.
At the reforestation site, organizers provided all participants with hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, work gloves, seedlings, and planting tools. Before the reforestation began, Croatian forest rangers and scouts conducted a brief education session on forests and tree planting.
(Photo: Roman Avdagić/Igor Pavlović)
The CO2MPENSATING BY PLANTING project and the educational program “Forest Rangers” are currently the largest volunteer reforestation project in Croatia. In two and a half years, they have brought together over 7,700 volunteers who have planted more than 145,000 new trees in 90 reforestation actions.
These volunteer reforestation actions are currently held almost every day at multiple locations, attracting numerous volunteers, schools, and partner institutions.
(Photo: Roman Avdagić/Igor Pavlović)
The official sponsors of the project are the Representation of the European Commission in Croatia, the Office of the European Parliament in Croatia, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Science and Education, and the Central State Office for Demography and Youth.
(Photo: Roman Avdagić/Igor Pavlović)
The project won the main award for the BEST GREEN CAMPAIGN IN CROATIA at last year’s GREENCAJT sustainability festival.
