Eight communities will plant the future in the spring. The program is now also looking for proposals for autumn planting projects

The results of the first grant call are known in the Planting the future program, which is being organized by the Ekopolis Foundation together with partners from autumn 2021. Among the more than 80 applications received, eight tree planting proposals will be implemented this spring. The new grant call for collecting ideas for autumn plantings is open from April 8 at www.sadimebuducnost.sk.

Until February 15, 2022, it was possible to register your intention for the spring round of the new grant call Planting the future. Eight plantings are supported, the implementation of which is planned for the period of March to May 2022, and 19,600 EUR were allocated to them. The program now makes it possible to apply for funding to help communities with meaningful plantings in open country or residential environments, even in the second announced grant round, until the end of May 2022.

The spring projects selected by expert evaluators are a palette of good examples of how to plant trees and change the shape of the landscape with feeling, respect and consideration for the future. The evaluators paid attention to the community dimension of plantings, the selection of trees and their origin, the significance of plantings for the country or cooperation with experts. The evaluation also took into account the budgetary basis of the requests, the efficient use of grant resources and also the sustainability of the project, i.e. the subsequent care of the trees, which is essential in the first years.

Patrícia Krausová, manager of the Planting the future program, mentioned the planting in Rimavská Sobota: “The intention is to supplement the orchard of historical varieties of fruit trees with another 138 varieties and to create a unique collection of fruit trees with European significance. By planting, growing and further spreading historical (regional) varieties, the association wants to contribute to the popularization of fruit growing and research into the adaptability of new varieties to local conditions.” Also interesting is the planting in the grounds of the Seňany manor in the Michalovce district, which is the gateway to Bird Paradise – Protected bird territory Senianske rybníky . As Krausová says: “The locals have planned several activities: to plant a new line of trees along the hiking trail next to Čierna voda, to establish a walnut orchard, to restore and plant the original mulberries and willows in the manor area. In total, they plan to plant 42 trees and 50 bushes.” Krausová also adds: “Communities across Slovakia will be supported and plantings will increase in Pezinok, Levice, in Slopná near Považská Bystrica, in the village of Badín near Banská Bystrica, in the village of Bajany and also in Spišské Vlachy. A total of around 400 trees are to be planted in eight plantings.”

The Ekopolis Foundation, as the organizer of the Planting the future initiative, is grateful for the support of partners such as GLS General Logistics Systems Slovakia, Slovenská sporiteľne Foundation, Nespresso, Veolia Slovakia Foundation, Východoslovenská energetika Holding, Deutsche Telekom Services Europe Slovakia, who entered the initiative financially and provide meaningful and useful support activities of local associations or municipalities that care about the future and quality of the environment. SLOVNAFT is also an important partner of the Let’s plant the future initiative, which supported the planting of hundreds of trees in 24 projects through the Green Oases grant program in 2022.

You can find everything about the Planting the future grant program on the website.

More about the conditions for obtaining the grant is summarized in the document PROPOSITIONS Planting the future autumn 2022.

More information: Patrícia Krausová, manager of the Planting the Future program, krausova@ekopolis.sk, +421 905 972 582

Media contact: Martina R. Hromadová, PR manager of the Ekopolis Foundation, ragalova@ekopolis.sk, +421 908 371 289