The spring 2025 campaign: new forests, united communities and green promises for the future

In 2025, the Tomorrow’s Forest Foundation continued to transform degraded land into young, lively forests. With the support of volunteers, local authorities and private partners, four planting actions brought together over 200 volunteers and thousands of seedlings in four counties in Romania.

The result? Over 22,500 seedlings planted and a new breath of air for areas that needed greenery, stability and hope.

The spring campaign began with our first action in Prahova County, at Poienarii Burchii. Here, a hectare of land on the banks of the Ialomița River – suffocated until recently by invasive brush – was transformed with the help of 25 volunteers and the local community. The foundation planted 5,000 seedlings of Pennsylvania ash, a resistant species well adapted to the soil in the area.

“We have started to transform this degraded land, overwhelmed by invasive species, into a forested area,” explained Adrian Toma, coordinator of the reforestation programme at the Tomorrow’s Forest Foundation. The event was supported by Brink’s Cash Solutions and was a true celebration of good energy and civic engagement.

A week later, at the foot of Piatra Craiului, in Vulcan – Brașov county, 150 volunteers braved the rain to plant 10,000 seedlings on two hectares. The story of the place is closely linked to the forest – the commune owns 1,600 hectares of forest fund and values this resource.

The land planted now had been passed into forest land for over two decades, but had never been forested, due to lack of funds. With the help of sponsors HS Timber Group, DRÄXLMAIER Brașov and Hutchinson, the dream has come true.

The planted species – sessile, red oak, beech and maple – were chosen by specialists from the Piatra Craiului FMU, based on the soil and climate. The entire area was fenced off with a protective fence to give the seedlings the best chance of development.

“It is a very important project for our community,” said Mayor Marius Adrian Doda. And the feeling of belonging to a family was present not only in the mayor’s words, but also in the enthusiasm of the volunteers, students, employees and locals alike.

The third spring action took place in Șpring, Alba county, where 7,200 sessile seedlings were planted on 1.8 hectares. The sessile is a valuable species, perfectly adapted to the area, with an essential role in maintaining biodiversity and soil stability.

The planting in Șpring continues the efforts started in 2024, when the Foundation had already forested four hectares in the same area. The initiative is part of the Foundation’s national reforestation programme, which has exceeded the threshold of 1.2 million planted seedlings.

“It is a team effort, and the support of the community is essential for the success of this endeavour,” said Mihail Caradaică, executive director of the Foundation.

Last year, on a plot of land in Brezoaele (Dâmbovița county) where once there was a garbage dump, the Foundation, together with volunteers from partner Brink’s and the community planted 382 seedlings with an ornamental role, including several Ginkgo biloba trees – a beloved species, known as the “Pagoda Tree”. This spring, 180 new treelings completed last autumn’s planting, in a street alignment. The project that Mayor Ion Florea described as “close to the heart” will soon become a park, with a playground, a bicycle path and a picnic area. “We hope that in a few years we will be able to walk through this park, to leave a better world behind us,” said the mayor.

At this time of year, we not only plant new forests, but also take care of the planted seedlings.

Taking care of the seedlings after each planting is essential for them to develop healthily – like children, in the first years of life they are vulnerable and have to face the competition of the vegetation in the area for the necessary resources: light and water.

We will certainly remember the planting event in Toporu (Giurgiu county) in November last year as a special one – the plantation was financed almost entirely from donations on the site and income tax redirects and was planted with the help of our wonderful volunteers!

This spring, soil mobilisation and plantation revision works were carried out – and the news is good! Although the area is still dry and about 100 seedlings have been lost, there will be a beautiful forest for a community on the front line of the climate fight.

And in Ceplenița, Iasi county – where last year about 7,000 white poplar and Pennsylvania ash seedlings were planted on 1.7 hectares, together with volunteers from partner companies Brink’s Romania and Zeelandia Romania – soil mobilisation works took place.

The plantations of Tomorrow’s Forest have the maintenance works provided for at least three years, through the FMUs and the afforestation companies with which we collaborate. This spring, such works were carried out on 9.7 hectares of land in three counties. In addition, 4,500 seedlings were planted for additions.

The 2025 planting campaign does not only mean thousands of seedlings planted, but above all, human connections, involvement and confidence in the future. Each action has shown that success comes through collaboration: between people and nature, between locals and specialists, between volunteers and authorities.

The Tomorrow’s Forest Foundation thanks all those who got their hands on a shovel, put in the effort or were simply present for a cause we all believe in: tomorrow’s forests begin with our actions today.