The weather gave us a scare, but did not frighten away 500 participants of another edition of the ‘Do Nasadzenia’ campaign, which was held on Saturday in Głuchy Bór, nearby Dziemiany. 22,000 saplings were used, afforesting an area of several hectares in size. The event, which had an integrational and educational purpose, engaged seventeen companies and organizations from the Tricity. The event site saw numerous families with small kids show up, for whom planting a forest, and an opportunity to meet foresters was a unique experience.
– Companies very much took to this campaign, therefore, even though the forest restoration after the hurricane wind of 2017 was complete, we decided to extend another invitation to join us while planting trees. This is how we want to encourage people to keep contact with wildlife. By participating in this event, we are able to ‘feel’ the forest, learn about multiple inter-dependencies, and spend time together with family and friends in a valuable manner. As I zoom out, looking at the involvement of people, and the accompanying laughter, I feel great satisfaction, and a burst of energy. We are not indifferent to the reactions of our surrounding, business partners, as well as our families, or communities of foresters, all of whom help us greatly and stimulate for action. I believe this is not the last time we saw each other – said Sławomir Gajewski, CEO of Torus, a company which is the originator and mastermind of the ‘Do Nasadzenia’ campaign.
The interest shown by companies in the participation in this year’s tree-planting campaign was huge.
- The list of participants filled up instantaneously, and – one might say – spontaneously, we did not have to overly promote the event. I believe upon the completion of so many fantastic prior editions, ‘Do Nasadzenia’ became a brand on its own. For years, we have been initiating projects which give opportunities to fulfil various policies and objectives, or to enhance the ID of the companies which take part in the event. Torus Triathlon In Da House comes as a good example, or Warto się Uczyć campaign, along with Operation Rh, establishing city bee yards, or meetups with students which we have been organizing for years. While conducting ‘Do Nasadzenia’, we heard from our Partners they were ready to do anything with us; they wanted to take part in projects raising awareness, and releasing positive emotions. It considerably builds us up, as a company, and people working in Torus – said Monika Brzozowska, Torus Marketing Director.
For many event participants, it was not the first adventure, but there were also those who attended each edition so far, every time increasing their personal tally of planted trees.
– We have been here yet another time, this year as an event partner. We have come in a group of fifty people, caring so much about supporting natural environment. At the same time, we also consider it to be an amazing integrational platform for our employees. By breaking away from the day-to-day office work, we can meet our male and female colleagues in a totally different, forest environment – said Anna Właszyn, Regional Senior Manager, EMEA Payroll, Member of the Board Thomson Reuters Polska.
- The interest shown by our employees was immense, with the number of volunteers greatly exceeding the number of available spots. The action is just perfect. Our employees are more than willing to take part in it, and to change the environment in which we live – said Paweł Molicki, Vice President, Services Technology – Service Management, Thomson Reuters Polska.
For many companies, the involvement in this type of initiatives comes naturally, and constitutes one of the CSR strategy elements.
Health from nature
- I love Poland; I have been living in this country for a long time, and I consider planting trees my duty. I have been involved in this campaign for years, and the accompanying atmosphere has always been overwhelmingly positive. Every year, we come in a group of several dozen people, with one particular edition attracting more than one hundred employees. I did not count how many trees we have planted across all editions within the joint effort of our entire team, but the number is certainly really high. Our employees come along with their families, children, and even grandparents. We are a socially responsible company, and it is in our DNA to get involved in this type of initiatives. It is great we can operate here in such a vast group, side by side with other companies. It all makes my day – said Mario Zamarripa, Sustainable Growth Director in ERGO Hestia.
- We are perfectly aware of the fact that responsible business does not exist in isolation from most burning problems of the XXI century, with climatic and environmental changes, such as deforestation, being certainly some of them. We are truly pleased with the response we received from our employees – the interest shown in this initiative exceeded our expectations. Ultimately, we collected a group of almost seventy people around this campaign! To the joint planting effort, we invited our employees with their children, which is of significant importance from the educational point of view. Such initiatives make the new generation conscious of various environmental matters, and develop good practices. One might say, that while planting, literally before our eyes, new social attitudes are being formed. We draw additional satisfaction from the integrational aspect of the event, and the awareness that we will be able to return to the planting site, and see the outcome of our work – said Aleksandra Bugajska, Talent Development Director in GetResponse.
Returning to the roots
The first edition of the ‘Do Nasadzenia’ campaign was held in 2019. Each year, planting takes place in a different location, with many attendees later eager to return to those sites to see how ‘their forest’ is growing.
- It is the second time I have participated in this event. I had been planting for the very first time before I became a Torus employee, and I must admit it did amaze me. For me, I am driven by a rule that says we did not inherit our planet from our parents, but merely rent it from our children. I am a father of five children myself, who are here today with me, and it is profoundly important to me. The fact of us being here comes from the need of the heart. It was with premeditation that, while attending the previous edition, I pinned the exact located on google maps to be able to return to this spot in several years’ time, together with my family to see the forest we have planted – said Przemysław Ryś, Torus Deputy Chairman.
Education and wellbeing from nature
There were multiple attractions dedicated to children and adults, prepared by Lasy Państwowe, and Social Cooperative ZEROBAN, among others. The foresters led a few educational walks at the site, taught how to distinguish mushrooms and tree shoots, and even helped with making dream catchers. Many attendees left with ‘a piece of forest’, made by themselves in a jar, forest wax tablets, or hotels for insects. On the spot, a natural peeling was being made from … the grounds of coffee that was consumed on site.
– We conduct workshops in the zero-waste climate. We have two stands here, with soaps and scent bars being made at one of them, and coffee grounds peeling at the other. It is not just fun, because – firstly, zero waste – we recycle coffee grounds instead of throwing them away. Secondly, we do something for ourselves, and from natural ingredients on top of it. Coffee grounds constitute the base, but we also use natural oils, sugar, salt, cinnamon, or olive. The interest is significant, and there is an amazing atmosphere. There are lots of children that come over to make presents for their parents or grandmothers – said Joanna Wierzba, Social Cooperative ZEROBAN.
During the event, a currently vital aspect for brought up – mental health. A workshop on psychological first (self)aid, and on an immensely significant role of nature therein, was held by a representative of Można Zwariować Foundation.
– Forest accounts for one of the pillars of mental health, with these two areas strongly intertwined. On October 10, on the World Day of Mental Health, we launched the psychological first self-aid campaign. We identify six pillars within, with one of them concerning contacts with nature. Thus, today we are telling how it carries over onto our mental health, how the walks in the forest affect wellbeing, because they do, and there is plenty of evidence to back it up. ‘Do Nasadzenia’ offers a wonderful opportunity to do so – we are creating a forest here, so we are creating a bit of wellbeing for ourselves. I would like to encourage everybody to take meditational walks through the forest, because sometimes all it takes is fifteen minutes to minimise stress a bit – you do not need a lot of it, with regularity remaining key – said Jowita Remlingier from Można Zwariować Foundation.
The campaign was filled with real, living emotions. The forest and trees planted by the participants will one day be just as real and alive. The organizers did not bid farewells to the foresters, or to participants – they just told everybody ‘Do nasadzenia’.
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ORGANIZER: Torus
STRATEGIC PARTNER: Lasy Państwowe (State Forests)
PARTNERS: GetResponse; ERGO Hestia; Thomson Reuters
PARTICIPANTS: Swarovski Global Business Services; State Street Bank International; RICOH Business Services Polska; Sollers Consulting; DNV Poland; Foundever Poland; Dr. Oetker Polska; Gdańskie Wydawnictwo Oświatowe; Northvolt Systems Poland; BTV; PZFD Trójmiasto; Cefetra Polska; Collab
MEDIA COVERAGE: Trojmiasto.pl; Eurobuild CEE; Pro Progressio, Focus on Business
