THE FIRST REFORESTATION CAMPAIGN IN THE OSNABRÜCK HILL REGION
The search for a suitable area for the initiative led to a clearcut area in a forest owned by heristo – a 0.5-hectare tract in the Osnabrück hills, which had been damaged by bark beetle infestation, strong winds, and persistent drought in recent years. The goal of the approximately 50 animonda employees, including CEO Marco Lubberich and heristo Sustainability Officer Isabel Both, was to replant some of the lost trees in an effort to improve the climate, reduce the heristo Group's CO2 balance, and support heristo Land- und forstwirtschaft GmbH.
AN IMPORTANT MEASURE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
Forestry expert Theo Otten was particularly pleased about animonda's commitment to sustainability: He knows the value of intact trees. "The forest plays a crucial role in the fight against global warming because it sequesters harmful CO2 in hydrogen, oxygen, and wood. This means it is bound by the wood for the long term." The idea of sustainability is important, he says, especially with regard to future generations: "Everything we invest in our forests helps to reduce CO2 levels."
1,300 PLANTS FOR LONG-TERM FOREST STABILIZATION
Thanks in part to Otten's help, the reforestation team found that the beginning of November had the best conditions in the forest area, which is not far from the source of the Hase River, near Dissen. In preparation, the heristo forester, with support from an external forestry company, had prepared almost 1,300 saplings in containers and had dug holes for the roots.
Then it was a matter of distributing the saplings, planting them, applying soil to the roots and packing it down, and, last but not least, tying stakes to the saplings for support. In total, each of the more than 50 participants planted around 20 Douglas firs, larches, silver firs, great firs, and red oaks – much to the delight of Theo Otten and our planet. Because this project will continue to help to preserve the environment and stabilize the forest for years to come.
