We Need Each Other

How winding was the road that led to 10 Million Trees?

In the summer of 2019, there were massive forest and bushfires worldwide – in Siberia, the Amazon, and Australia. This triggered an immense climate anxiety in me, and I couldn’t even sleep. I have two daughters, and all I could think about was that they have no future. In mid-August, I saw a Facebook post about a local 10 Million Trees group that had formed in the 22nd district where I live. I wrote to the group’s representative, expressing my willingness to help with the organization if possible. It was possible. Time proved that active engagement alleviates anxiety, but it soon became clear that I gained so much more!

How do you remember the beginnings?

We met in the garden of Franciska Hervai (the main coordinator of 10 Million Trees) at the end of August, four of us. Four motivated civilians, four strangers. We sat down to brainstorm and decided that as a first step, we should organize meetings at the community center’s café. We did it. Then again. Each time, more people joined us. A core group formed, who then actively participated in the organization and plantings. Together, we set the goal of planting trees in the local Kresz park on Life Day. At the beginning, we didn’t even know where to start: where to buy trees, whether we needed to ask for permission from the local government, how to raise funds, recruit volunteers, and, in general, how to plant trees properly? Then, during the many “tree meetings,” everything came together dreamily. The knowledge was provided by the experts of 10 Million Trees. A local green organization, Green Future, helped with fundraising. For this first planting, over 300,000 HUF was raised from private donations! On the planting day, approximately 80 (!) volunteers showed up, the district TV was there, and famous actors came to promote the program! And we had beautiful sunny weather on November 9! It was such a miracle that we couldn’t believe it! By the way, the first donations came from my own daughters: they always received small amounts as gifts from their grandparents for name days and birthdays, and seeing what I was striving for, they suddenly handed me twenty thousand forints. They were 8 and 5 years old at the time. So, it was completely natural that one of the trees planted in the Kresz park was named by them: János celebrates his fourth birthday in the fall.

The first occasion was followed by increasingly serious plantings, if I’m not mistaken.

Yes, although COVID caused some setbacks in the plantings, we maintained contact with the team online and, of course, took care of and watered our trees. Meanwhile, we dreamed about how nice it would be to green more with a bit more funding. Our wish came true at the end of 2020 when we received an unexpected inquiry from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, expressing their desire to collaborate with us to plant 700 trees in the district within a year. I don’t think any of us, except Franciska, believed we could do it. But we did it!

Why did you decide to transition from a volunteer to an employee at the Foundation?

I worked as a structural engineer at a small company specializing in the design of precast reinforced concrete structures, in a comfortable office, and later in a home office, with a flexible schedule, but… honestly, it was mostly just work, a means to earn money. Meanwhile, I was internally conflicted, as I was preparing plans for battery factory halls while environmental protection ranked high among my principles. It became very clear to me that I needed to make a change and engage in something that truly reflects my values. And then – almost as if by request, as always – the opportunity arose: a 10 Million Trees project on an even larger scale than the previous one, for which the organization needed a full-time person.

Did your family support you in this?

My husband wholeheartedly supported my decision and continues to do so, partly because he sees that this is my calling, that I am finally doing what I love, and partly because he agrees with the importance of the goal. I would be lying if I said there are no concerns. For example, that sometimes there are more than a hundred trees, stakes, bags of fertilizer, and piles of rubble cluttering our garden, or that he has to go to school for the kids more often if, say, I don’t return in time from a planting. And, of course, I had an engineering salary, from which I stepped back to a foundation level. My brother offered to supplement my monthly salary, and although I didn’t take him up on that, the knowledge that he is also there for me, along with my parents, gives me a comforting sense of reassurance. Our daughters, of course, see that I have worked even more in the past six months than when I was volunteering while working six hours, and thus I have spent less time with them. This does cause some guilt, but I believe it is worth it even from their perspective. On the one hand, because they receive a good example of authentic behavior: they see that we truly act for what we believe in and that we act according to our convictions. It’s also worth noting that even if I am more tired, I have become much more satisfied, balanced, and cheerful than before. This summer, there will be “only” watering to do, so according to my plans, we will catch up on the lost time. Nevertheless, I feel that they are proud of their mother.

The joint project with K&H – the “Cooling Groves” – was implemented in the yards of 100 educational institutions across the country. How were you able to manage this huge commitment?

With the help of gigantic Excel spreadsheets. But I didn’t do it alone; I worked in a team, and that was the key. The other factor was that Franciska was there for me throughout, guiding me when needed and encouraging me. We started by asking the representatives of local groups who would be interested in participating in this project. Fifteen signed up as organizers, plus another 3-4 gardeners joined in. We distributed the winning locations among ourselves, and I tried to coordinate everything. I wrote a know-how document outlining the project’s specifics, and following this guidance, the representatives contacted the institutions, assessed the locations, and began organizing. For the most part, we ordered the necessary trees and other items centrally, then came the logistics, and mostly Hervai Lőrinc, our jack-of-all-trades, handled the deliveries. However, there were times when I delivered the trees myself or loaded the car for the next day’s transport. Coordinating the details of planting, organizing labor, giving presentations to the children, carrying out the planting, etc., was again the responsibility of the representatives from 10 Million Trees. In the end, I also took care of the administration and photo uploads. An accountant helped navigate through the jungle of invoices. Additionally, I organized an average of one or two plantings per week at my own locations. I also had four overnight occasions when I had to travel far. During these times, the invited gardener colleagues became almost friends. The first planting took place at a school in Budakalász on November 30, 2022, and now, on May 31, we have completed the project within the deadline. We planted 555 trees and 1,110 shrubs in educational institutions at 100 locations across the country. It is evident that there is a huge demand for more: over 480 institutions applied for the K&H grant! We hope there will be a continuation. We planted with children for children. Therefore, this project became very important and dear to me. Thousands of little ones participated in the plantings of the Cooling Groves, from toddlers to high school students, to whom we could explain and show the reasons and methods of tree planting, thus creating a positive impression, a good experience, and some knowledge on the topic. Not to mention, it brought me immense joy to work with them, teaching them and learning from them, hoping that we made their future a little better with a few planted trees and thoughts. I had wonderful experiences during the plantings: there were times when children planted alongside the sound of a flute in a music school, very often they placed messages next to the trees, and there was almost always singing, choirs, and recitations. They were enthusiastic, helpful, and skillful. It was clear that this was a special occasion for them as well.

What new competencies have you acquired during your time with 10 Million Trees?

For example, I had to take on driving the flatbed truck; I never thought I would have to do that one day. But we were left without a driver, and we had to go. The day before, we tried it out; I drove a few laps in a parking lot under supervision, and then the next day we set off for Nyíregyháza. We made it there. Everything for the goal! Another significant development that I am very happy about is that I used to have quite a strong stage fright when I had to speak in front of more than two people. I believe all my acquaintances can attest to this with a smile. But over the course of three years, I managed to shed that as well, and I now speak in front of groups at planting events with complete calm. How well I speak is another question, but there is always room for improvement.

What would you highlight regarding your work with 10 Million Trees?

The importance, strength, responsibility, and joy of community. It is impossible to plant 10 million trees alone, to tackle the climate crisis, to save the world. But it doesn’t have to be done alone; it is a common goal. Behind each of these larger projects is the work of hundreds or even thousands of people. We need each other, and as this story proves: even if it seems impossible at first, we can succeed together! Not to mention the amazing, sometimes lifelong friendships that are formed through 10 Million Trees, the countless experiences, memories, and the wonderful feelings! Personally, I am very happy to be a part of it.

Laura Balázs