Over 3,300 trees and shrubs for the oxygen of the future

On March 4, 2023, around 70 students from Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences in Wolfenbüttel planted 3,375 trees and shrubs as part of an excursion by the ZWIRN research center at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences. The reforestation took place on a 0.5-hectare area near Klostergut Heiningen on the banks of the Warne river in collaboration with the foundation "Foundation Future Forest". The site was cleared in September 2022 due to infestation by the bark beetle, and is now being replanted.

Ostfalia University holds its first tree planting event

Thomas Nass and Arvid Flüh are leading the project "Trees for the Oxygen of the Future" (Bäume für den Sauerstoff der Zukunft). Thomas Nass commented on the project saying: "In October 2021, Professor Dr. Stefan Zeranski gave us students from the Faculty of Law/Brunswick European Law School (BELS) an impulse for the project during a lecture. This led to the initiative to organize a planting event to contribute to the establishment of climate-stable mixed forests."

The goal is to repeat projects like this in the future. The students are making their contribution to climate and environmental protection through the planting event. Due to the long-term nature of the project, many more people will benefit from the forest, also because the action demonstrates what can be achieved together.

Local Support

The "Foundation Future Forest" (Stiftung Zukunft Wald), which has been successful in sustainable forest projects in Lower Saxony since 2011, cooperates with ZWIRN (Center for Scientific, Interdisciplinary Risk Management and Sustainability at Ostfalia) and farmer Karsten Bötel, who provided the land, and with the students who planted the trees. The campaign was co-financed by the "Bingo Environmental Foundation" (Bingo-Umweltstiftung).

Sustainable Environmental education and promotion

Elisabeth Hüsing, Director of the foundation, on the objective of the reforestation project: "We aim to reintroduce students to nature and the forest, its development and diversity, as well as its immense importance in the time of climate change. And what could be better for this purpose than planting an own forest?"

The forest and the planting campaign are supported by the family-owned agricultural market crop
farm of Karsten Bötel. The planting campaign is staffed by many volunteers and students from
Ostfalia University as well as employees of the foundation.