How was our year in 2023?
This is our completely subjective and arbitrary selection from the past year. It is almost impossible to share every moment and event – you can read our shortened summary of the year 2023.
January
In 2022, we made an agreement with K&H Bank, allowing the K&H Refreshing Groves program to launch with a flying start in early 2024. It is no secret that, based on the experiences from the year-end plantings, we had high hopes for the 2023 planting season!
Tree plantings in January: Balassagyarmat, Dunaharaszti, Nógrádmegyer.
February
Under the name “Carnival Planting,” we conducted the first open planting of the year 2023 on February 18 in Rákoskert. In a pleasantly wintry atmosphere, we spent our time planting a grove forest.
Tree plantings in February: Balatonkeresztúr, Budapest, Felsőrajk, Letenye, Nyím, Várvölgy.
March
With the support of several artists and public figures, we launched our 1% campaign, which – as it later turned out – concluded with a very nice result: a total of 2,747,430 HUF from 290 donations. Thank you!
The amount can only be used in 2024, and we will provide updates on this soon! 🙂
Tree plantings in March: Bajna, Bercel, Biatorbágy, Bicske, Budapest, Csanádpalota, Dunaújváros, Gárdony, Görcsöny, Hajdúnánás, Hódmezővásárhely, Ikervár, Jánosháza, Kál, Kisvárda, Lábatlan, Mezőkovácsháza, Nagykanizsa, Nyírpazony, Tenk, Pécs, Pécsvárad, Vaszar, Veresegyház, Vép.
April
In our planting series for Earth Month, we planted across the country. The Miyawaki mini-forest next to the Rákóczi Bridge in Budapest was completed and our volunteer team visited the small village of Bezeréd in Zala County, where the community contributed to the reforestation of the organic farm by planting 2,500 native tree saplings.
Tree plantings in April: Albertirsa, Bátonyterenye, Bezeréd, Budapest, Dabas, Darány, Eger, Esztergom, Győr, Győrvár, Imrehegy, Jánoshida, Jánossomorja, Jászberény, Karcag, Kétsoprony, Kisköre, Kunadacs, Körmend, Nagymácócs, Mezőkeresztes, Tényő, Törökszentmiklós, Szarvas, Szeghalom, Szekszárd, Szentlászló, Szolnok.
May
The Vígszínház (Comedy Theatre) opened in Budapest in 1896. What better way to celebrate the 127th anniversary than with a joint tree planting with the members of the company? During the cheerful planting, we planted at least this many, if not more, trees in Szöcskerét, Budapest.
Tree plantings in May: Abaújkér, Ászár, Andocs, Budapest, Csabdi, Gesztely, Kalocsa, Kecskéd, Kistelek, Putnok, Recsk, Hajdúbagos, Hajdúböszörmény, Hajdúszoboszló, Kunbaja, Sajószentpéter, Szentbalázs, Tabdi, Tiszaújváros, Tolna, Magosliget, Nagyatád, Nemesvámos, Nyírlugos, Nyírmada, Vásárosnamány.
June
Together with Budapest Bike Mafia, weinstalled a garden at the picturesque courtyard of the Szállás on Aszódi Street and on June 10, we held our VIII. National Meeting & Open Family Day at Grund.
We Plant and Nurture! After the national tree plantings, we launched an intensive nurturing season that will last until early September!
During the nurturing process, we supported the saplings planted in the first half of the year with water, mulch, and supports, depending on where and what was most needed.
July
In light of the summer heat, we launched our first Tree Rescue Vehicle Campaign. Details >>>
Our goal remains unchanged: to acquire an electric vehicle that not only transports water but also nutrients, tree care tools, and specialists – this vehicle will assist where it is most needed, as we visit our planting sites daily and continuously monitor the condition of the trees and shrubs, allowing us to provide quick assistance.
On July 8, we celebrated our 4th birthday in a small family circle, under an old walnut tree, while of course, changing the world!
August
We found space for 2 million trees!
We know that a few essential components are needed for tree planting:
Planters > saplings, access to saplings usually requires > money, but above all > land!
How much space is needed for 2 million trees? As a rule of thumb, we can accept that 250 hectares is sufficient.
Many responded to our call, and we can plan for nearly 30 hectares, thus we have found areas where we can continue our tree plantings.
If you have a piece of land you would like to offer, you can do so on this page:
10 Million Trees – Land Donation, click!
In the image below, Hikmet Kaya, a Turkish forestry engineer, is seen holding a photo of the area visible behind him.
However, the photo of the bare northern Turkish landscape was taken in 1978.
Today, in place of the barren landscape, a vast, lush forest spreads out as a result of his and his team’s work planting 30 million saplings.
September
At our joint picnic with Főkert, we opened the 2023 autumn planting season with the planting of a towering willow at the Feneketlen Lake. We met on a relaxed, calm Saturday, planted trees, and chatted.
This month, the nationwide planting series “10 Million Trees,” in collaboration with K&H Bank, received the K&H Refreshing Groves program won the Good Cause of the Year – Green Awards!
We paused for a moment, took a breath, and regardless of the award, we look back with satisfaction: Between November 2022 and June 2023, we planted a total of 555 trees and 1,100 shrubs in 100 schools, kindergartens, and nurseries, allowing children to play and rest in the shade of leafy trees in a few years!
Tree plantings in September: Budapest.
October
Our 11th Miyawaki mini-forest has been completed in the XVIII district of Budapest, in Pestszentlőrinc.
210 trees and 70 shrubs were planted. 35 enthusiastic volunteers needed just under 90 minutes to create a new mini-forest.
Tree plantings in October: Budapest, Baja, Kápolnásnyék, Velence.
November
We planted an Edible Garden at the Kőbánya Shelter. Our plantings always come from collaboration; in this community tree planting, employees and residents of the BMSZKI Kőbánya branch, customers and staff of MrSale Suit Store, xforest.hu climate magazine, and volunteers from 10 Million Trees participated.
We planted 15 fruit trees and numerous shrubs, and we also helped with other tasks in the garden!
Our “More Trees in Schools!” campaign has launched Details >>>
Afforestation in Maglód – 1250 saplings! Turkey oaks, sessile oaks, field maples, wild pears, blackthorns, and buckthorns formed the basis of this new planting!
On the evening of the 22nd, perhaps fulfilling the promise of the early months, we received an award dedicated solely to us, the SUPERBRANDS Green Innovation Award, in front of key players in the business world.
We have been planting together with GreenGo carsharing for a long time, and this November, we planted a Miyawaki mini-forest in Budapest, at the Chestnut Garden in District XII.
At the end of last summer, we were approached by the Diversity Foundation to support the establishment of a syntropic agroforestry fruit orchard.
Tree plantings in November: Budapest, Izsák, Gödöllő, Győr, Kaposvár, Kecskemét Küngös, Nyírbátor, Szeged.
December
Afforestation is our passion: In Mátyásföld, we enriched the landscape with 1500 saplings, launching another forest patch. Primarily, turkey oak, sessile oak, wild pear, various maples, and blackthorn were planted.
Our afforestation project in Monorierdő, consisting of 8800 trees, was also reported by ATV. We planted 800 trees in a groved arrangement on two fenced areas of 20×30 meters offered by the local municipality.
As with our afforestation efforts in other parts of the country, we kept our main goal in mind here:
we are reforesting naturally or using methods very close to it, always focusing on creating a mixed-species, native forest stock suitable for the site.
Even in these days, together with the Gellérthegy Residents’ Advocacy Association and Főkert, we established the foundations of an orchard on Gellérthegy by planting 17 fruit trees.
Announcement of the K&H Animal-Friendly Groves application
In collaboration with K&H Bank, the K&H Refreshing Groves program, recognized with a Green Awards prize, will be further developed, and in 2024, the growth of animal-friendly groves can begin!
Our goal is to increase green space with diverse plants and animal habitats, support biodiversity in the yards of public educational institutions, and shape children’s environmental awareness.
Hungarian primary schools, secondary schools, and kindergartens can apply for the program.
Applications for the program can be submitted by January 25, 2024, at 4 PM on the https://allatbaratligetek.hu/ website.
This year’s favorite Christmas gift is also:Let There Be a Forest Under the Tree! recognition – a tree planting supported by a gift certificate. You can gift a tree planting to anyone. You contribute, and we promise to plant the gift tree in Hungary in the year following Christmas.
Tree Plantings in December: Budapest, Monorierdő.
