“Our Forest” Project in Hesse

The German region works towards sustainable forestry and reduction of greenhouse emissions

Climate change presents a major threat to our environment and our lives. We are witnessing examples of extreme weather such as storms, droughts, and floods all over the world and in Europe, in particular. Forests should be part of the agenda of every country  - to protect and preserve in order to mitigate the effects of our deteriorating environment.

Germany and re-forestation

Germany is broadly covered by trees. Over 40% of the land in Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse is forested. According to Forstwirtschaft in Germany, the last five decades saw a steady increase in the planting of trees along with the whole country.

The different Laender of Germany are the ones responsible for the management and maintenance of the forests but there are some private owners of forests in some of the less populated regions, the german edition points out.

“Our Forest”

Hesse, one of the densely forested Laender in Germany, set itself an ambitious task – to replant hundreds of areas with trees of a type that easily adapt to the changing climate and conditions. The initiative is called “Our forest” and its mission is to ensure the resilience and sustainability of the land for future generations.

There are a few ways one can help the region to achieve its goal – by a donation, sponsorship or labour. The aim is to have all citizens take part and help in a way that is convenient for them.

There are close to 40 forestry offices throughout Hesse where people can go and find out how they can help in their area.

As of the beginning of 2020, it was calculated that there are more than 1000 trees donated per week. “This is an excellent record,” says the Prime Minister of Hesse Volker Bouffier. The municipal portal further elaborates that "The monetary donations range between 20 and 3500 euros“.

Anyone interested in donating a tree, sponsoring the planting initiative or planting a tree themselves can register on the site of Hessen-Forst and will receive information regarding how, when and where to help. In addition, there are specially designated days when people can gather and plant trees.

An awareness campaign will also bring recognition to the problem and help citizens find out more about their personal carbon footprints and how GHG emissions can be reduced by planting more trees to absorb them.

And this is not the only great example in Germany. Bavaria, for example, has the Mountain Forest Project that gathers volunteers to help with the reforestation of different mountainous areas. Another project that can serve as inspiration is Allgäu Forest Restoration. In the period since 1991, there have been more than 180,000 trees planted in the region.