One day, 55 people, 1,000 trees planted – that was Black Forest Day 2024. For four years now, we have lent a hand on this day to give something back to the Black Forest. Together with the friendly staff of likeminded companies in our region, our team along with staff from Haus der Natur Feldberg reforested a cleared section in Oberried near Stollenbacher Hof.
A GOOD DAY
FOR PLANTING
“Let's see how many trees the good weather allows us to manage this time,” laughs our Managing Director Timo, as we set off from Freiburg to drive up into the high Black Forest. This year we are lucky indeed. Instead of the rain we endured last year, this time we are greeted by bright sunshine in Oberried. As well as our fellow volunteers we are greeted there by a team of forestry workers and managers from the forestry administration of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district that we are supporting today.
DISFIGURED BY
STORMS AND BEETLES
The section of forest we are reforesting has an eventful history. Twenty-five years ago, there was a dense spruce forest here until hurricane Lothar swept across the Black Forest in 1999, felling half of the trees. “The structure of the stand was severely weakened and it was increasingly fragmented in recent years as it became more susceptible to storms and the bark beetle,” explains forester Jens Strauch. The remaining spruce was removed from the forest this year in order to utilise the timber sensibly over the long term – before the last trees fall by themselves. “In this way, we ensure that the CO2 that is bound up in them is not released again.”
THE RIGHT MIX FOR
A RESILIENT FOREST
Now a more resilient mixed mountain forest is being created here that is better equipped for climate change and the future. “Spruce is very common in the Black Forest, but climate change is making it too dry and warm for this tree,” explains Jens. That's why we are now planting a mixture of beech, Scots pine, silver fir and sycamore. A mix of trees makes the forest more resilient, because if one species suffers a disease, the others survive. It also increases the biodiversity and this creates a habitat for as many animal and plant species as possible.
TREE BY TREE
INTO THE GROUND
The saplings are so small that we can carry twelve at a time. Working in teams, we begin by making holes in the ground, clearing with a hoe and boring with an earth drill. We plant the saplings with their growing roots into the holes. The forestry managers and workers explain to us what is important. “There must be no air around the roots to make sure they stay wet,” says Jens. After planting two or three trees, we soon get the hang of it. We tread down the soil well each time and begin to make good progress. “We've already done fifty,” laughs Annika from the HORL product development team.
ALL GOOD THINGS
COME IN THOUSANDS
Sooner than we had expected, we reach our goal for the day: we have planted 1000 trees. Now we attach clips to the top shoots of the silver firs, known as ‘terminal shoots’. These ensure that deer are not tempted to bite off the young shoots and thus hinder growth of the trees. Finally, we have protected all our little trees and the day is drawing to a close. “As we stand here in the setting sun, it's been a truly wonderful day,” remarks founder Otmar as we say our goodbyes. “We're already looking forward to next year!”
A GOOD FEELING
THAT STAYS WITH YOU
Thank you for your support
JobRad, Schwarzwaldmilch, Europapark, Mayka, Visual Statements, ToutTerrain