Planting nearly 1,500 plants: a pocket forest, shrubs, and perennials in Luboń with GSK and schools on March 11, 2025
Planting nearly 1,500 plants: a pocket forest, shrubs, and perennials in Luboń with GSK and schools on March 11, 2025
On April 11, 2025, Luboń transformed into a city of shared planting and care for nature. Two major environmental actions were organized that day, aiming to green the urban space and bring the local community together. Participants included the youngest residents—children from Luboń schools and kindergartens—as well as adult volunteers, including employees of GSK. These initiatives were carried out in cooperation with the City of Luboń and GSK.
The results of these efforts are not only hundreds of new plants that will soon play an important ecological role, but also countless smiles, conversations, and memories that will stay with the participants for a long time.
Pocket Forest on Ogrodowa Street – A Green Transformation of an Overlooked Area
We started the morning by creating a pocket forest on Ogrodowa Street. This previously neglected and unused piece of land was brought to life thanks to the efforts of GSK volunteers and the One More Tree Foundation team. Within just a few hours, we planted 140 tree seedlings, including: elder, sessile oak, common hornbeam, wild pear, wild apple, sycamore maple, Norway maple, small-leaved lime, and Japanese quince.
These kinds of activities perfectly show that even small urban spaces—often overlooked in development plans—can be turned into green oases that will serve both people and nature for many years.
What Are Pocket Forests?
Pocket forests are small but densely planted green enclaves that can be created almost anywhere—between apartment buildings, near schools, offices, or along streets. Their power lies in biodiversity and density—many species of plants are planted close together, allowing them to grow faster and form a self-sustaining, diverse ecosystem.
By using native species of trees and shrubs, pocket forests support local fauna and flora. They improve air quality, help retain rainwater, reduce the urban heat island effect, and provide shelter for pollinators and birds. They are also great spaces for environmental education and walks, and in the long term—a refuge from city noise.
Planting Together in Papieski Park
After finishing work on Ogrodowa Street, the entire team moved to Papieski Park, where we continued greening the city. This time, children and youth from seven educational institutions in Luboń joined the action. Their enthusiasm and energy were incredible—each group had assigned tasks, and the young gardeners eagerly took up shovels. Together, over an area of about 500 m², we planted around 100 native trees, over 1,000 shrubs—including common privet, Chenault coralberry, horizontal cotoneaster, lilac, mountain pine, and junipers—and 260 perennials such as narrow-leaved lavender, bigroot geranium, and catnip.
The diversity of species planted not only enhanced the park’s appearance but also made it more welcoming to pollinators and birds. The added greenery will also help with water retention and naturally reduce temperatures on hot days.
Learning and Cooperation in Practice
Planting is not just physical work, but also a chance to learn and have fun. The children eagerly learned about plant species and their roles in the urban ecosystem. Thanks to this, the event also had an educational aspect—the youngest participants gained practical experience and a better understanding of the importance of caring for nature.
Events like this bring the community together, build local responsibility, and are a great example of how real change can be implemented to improve the quality of life in the city.
Thank You for Taking Part!
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make these green initiatives happen—especially the volunteers from GSK, the children, teachers, and caregivers from Luboń’s schools and kindergartens, representatives of the City of Luboń, and everyone who supported us with kind words, help, and presence.
Your engagement shows that together we can achieve great things. We hope the new plantings will bring joy to Luboń residents for many years and that these green spaces will inspire future collective actions.
