Students plant trees: Olper tradition blooms again!

Students plant trees: Olper tradition blooms again!

On April 16, 2025, the traditional tree planting campaign of the fifth classes of the municipal high school Olpe (SGO) took place. This event has a long tradition that Mr. Franzen was launched in the 1990s. In this special campaign, the students planted trees of their choice, not only the fifth graders were active, but also high school graduates.

In recent years, the classes have not been able to plant their own trees due to limited space. Thanks to the support of the city of Olpe, the SGO can breathe a sigh of relief this year because a new forest was provided. This area previously suffered from a bark beetle infestation that had severely damaged the tree species.

the tree planting and its meaning

In the new forest of the SGO, two eating chestnuts, two Elsberries and a Papau, also known as the Indian Banana, were planted. The event took place in wonderful weather and was rounded off by a buffet of the parents and the “rolling forest school”. These additional offers not only enriched the event, but also promoted the sense of community among the participants.

Before the actual tree planting, a “spring cleaning” was also carried out in the school forest. All interested parties were invited to this campaign, so that many students, including project course members of Q1, were able to help children from grade 9 and two families. The focus was primarily on the replacement of sick and damaged trees as well as the free cutting of gathering gorse and other accompanying herbs.

Education for the future

These tree planting campaigns and maintenance work are not only a nice tradition, but also an integral part of environmental education in the SGO. The students learn not only the practical aspects of tree planting, but also the importance of trees for the ecosystem and the need to deal with natural resources sustainably. According to [LocalPlus], reports that the students participated in the campaign with great enthusiasm and the opportunity to plant individual trees as particularly valuable.