When Trees Bring People Together
Last Friday, we traveled to rainy Nová Bystrica to kick off the autumn tree-planting season as part of our program Sadíme budúcnosť. Despite the unfavorable weather, we managed to plant trees and shrubs in two locations—at the Elementary School in Vychylovka and along a local cycling route. This was made possible thanks to the dedication of the people from Nová Bystrica municipality, local schools, volunteer firefighters, Róbert Podoba from Ovocný strom, and our partners—Fond na podporu vzdelávania, Green Print, Prvá stavebná sporiteľňa, and the general partner of the initiative, GLS Slovakia. In total, 22 trees and 14 shrubs found a new home in Nová Bystrica thanks to everyone involved.
Trees Bridging Borders
For this event, we also invited our international partners from the Czech Republic and Poland as part of the Planting Our Futureproject, supported by the International Visegrad Fund.
Project Partners:
Despite the very unfavorable weather, the dedicated and hardworking students, firefighters from DHZ Vychylovka, representatives from Nadácia Ekopolis, and partners supporting the project successfully planted nine fruit trees and 14 fruit shrubs on October 11 at the Vychylovka Elementary School grounds.
Apple trees, plums, sea buckthorns, serviceberries, and cornels now adorn the school garden, providing benefits to students and teachers alike. The goal of planting these fruit trees and shrubs was to reintroduce them to residential areas, provide suitable habitats and food for bees, birds, and small insects, and create spaces for education, relaxation, and recreation. Trees, as essential components of the ecosystem, will also improve the local climate and contribute to water retention. Caring for the trees and shrubs will teach students practical skills and help them understand the effort it takes to enjoy the fruits of the trees and shrubs. During educational activities, the fruits will be processed into jams, fruit platters, or fruit leather.
The morning at Vychylovka was fully utilized. Despite the heavy rain, the good mood and enthusiasm for planting trees and shrubs prevailed. It was a challenging day, but everyone left for the second planting site with a sense of accomplishment and the thought that they were leaving behind a valuable gift for future generations.
At 11 a.m., the second phase of planting began along the cycling route in Nová Bystrica. Eighth and ninth-grade students from Nová Bystrica Elementary School rolled up their sleeves and got to work. The effort was further supported by local municipal employees who contributed significantly to the tree planting. Even preschoolers from the Bee class of the local kindergarten joined in, helping the Mayor Ing. Jozef Kuric plant their own fruit tree, which they later “adopted” as their shared responsibility. Ninth-grade students also adopted two trees.
The work progressed smoothly, and with more favorable weather conditions, 13 fruit trees were planted along the cycling route, enhancing its attractiveness. Visitors will enjoy blooming tree crowns in spring and colorful leaves in autumn, with the added bonus of tasting the fruits from various apple trees during their bike rides or walks.
Planting a tree is truly a science, and Róbert Podoba from Ovocný strom expertly guided us through the process. We are immensely grateful for his mentorship, expert advice, supervision, and the delivery of the highest quality saplings.
This remarkable initiative was made possible by Nadácia Ekopolis through the Keď stromy spájajú project as part of the Sadíme budúcnosť program, with financial support from planting partners—Prvá stavebná sporiteľňa, Green Print, and the Fond na podporu vzdelávania. The planting is also part of the Planting Our Future project, financed by the International Visegrad Fund.
Why the project name When Trees Bring People Together? Because the trees brought together multiple generations, people from different professions, and, above all, individuals who care about nature and the future of our planet for generations to come. A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved!
Text and photos: Mgr. Lenka Bisahová