Forests are vital ecosystems that we depend on for our survival since they absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO₂) and release oxygen. They also provide a habitat for many rare and endangered species of flora and fauna, as well as storing water and serving as a source of timber, an important renewable building material. Around 100 myclimate employees from Switzerland and Germany had the chance to experience some of those all-important forests for themselves and play an active part in supporting local forestry through tree-planting initiatives run by two different project partners.
The team at myclimate Switzerland planted around 900 trees in collaboration with long-standing myclimate partner Forstbetrieb Bucheggberg. This forestry company works on the climate protection project focusing on climate-optimised forestry management in the canton of Solothurn, with individual wooden guards being placed around each of the trees to protect them against damage caused by the local wildlife. Working closely with the forest warden and his team, the employees helped to create a research plot for a climate-resilient forest in an area that has previously suffered from bark beetle damage. The plan is for 18 different species of tree to be planted here to see if they might be able to help make the woodland more resilient to climate change.
In Germany, staff visited the site of the HessenForst project. Like so many other forests in Germany, this woodland in Hesse is suffering from the consequences of climate change, including heat waves, bark beetle damage and storms. Huge areas of woodland are bare. The employees planted some 1,400 oak and large-leaved lime tree seedlings across an area equivalent to one and a half football pitches to help make the woodland more climate resilient. As our staff learnt from the warden and her trainees on site, the five species of trees picked to be planted in the forest are less vulnerable to drought and less attractive to bark beetles.
By planting a total of 2,300 new trees and strengthening valued partnerships even further, myclimate is showing its commitment to having a lasting impact and moving towards the goal of building a climate-friendly future for generations to come.