When we think of a forest, we usually picture something that simply exists: dense, old stands of trees that were there long before us. We rarely stop to consider that every forest once began with individual saplings placed in the ground by specific people. On 17 April in Rokietnica near Poznań, together with employees of Novo Nordisk, we wrote exactly that kind of beginning. We planted 300 saplings: 150 oaks and 150 maples, which in a few decades will form part of a much larger forest complex.
Why Rokietnica
The site we chose was not random. The new saplings went into the ground right next to an existing forest, so instead of creating an isolated, solitary patch of green, they form a natural extension of the stand that already grows there. This matters a great deal for local wildlife: a forest that expands continuously, rather than in scattered fragments, gives species room to move freely, find food and shelter, without having to cross open, exposed terrain that leaves them vulnerable.
What is more, the forest bordering our new planting belongs to a protected area, and ponds along with the Samica Kierska river sit close by. That closeness to water makes the surrounding area unusually rich in birdlife: a great many species live here, drawn by the combination of water, meadows and woodland that creates ideal living conditions. By adding a new stretch of forest to that mix, we expand the living space available to them and strengthen the ecological corridor linking the woodland with the river and pond ecosystem.
It is worth noting that the municipality of Rokietnica does not have much land available for new forest plantings. That makes even a relatively modest area like the one we planted genuinely valuable to us. We do not treat it as a minor footnote but as a concrete, measurable step toward a larger goal. We are already planning to secure further, similar plots, including from government bodies such as the National Support Centre for Agriculture (KOWR), which would let us extend this green boundary by further hectares in the years ahead.
The protected areas bordering our new patch of forest act as a kind of refuge, a place where natural processes can unfold in a largely undisturbed rhythm. The trouble is that such refuges are very often isolated, surrounded by farmland, roads or buildings, which makes it harder for animals to migrate and exchange genes between populations. Every hectare of forest planted right next to such an area works as a connector: it shortens the exposed distance an animal has to cross and increases the chance that populations of birds, amphibians or insects can mix rather than being stuck functioning as isolated groups with dwindling resilience to change.
Why oak and maple
The choice of species was deliberate. The oak is a tree that grows slowly but, in exchange, offers exceptional longevity: it can live for several hundred years, and over time its crown becomes home to dozens of species of insects, birds and fungi. Acorns alone provide valuable food for deer, wild boar and jays, which in turn often help spread new oaks without even realising it. The maple, by contrast, grows faster, offers shade and cover sooner, and its flowers are among the first spring sources of nectar for bees just waking from winter and in urgent need of accessible food.
Combining the two species in one planting brings a further benefit: the difference in growth rates keeps the forest from developing uniformly. A natural mosaic of heights and canopy densities forms, one that mimics the structure of a natural forest far better than a single-species, evenly spaced plantation would. For birds, that means more nesting niches; for insects, more microhabitats; and for the forest itself, greater resistance to the diseases and pests that spread more easily through monocultures.
How the planting day unfolded
We got to work in the morning, armed with spades, saplings and plenty of energy. We planted the oaks and maples in rows, keeping careful spacing so the trees can grow freely in the future without competing too heavily for light or root space. Oaks, given their slower but far more durable growth, are the kind of tree that could become part of an old-growth stand within a few decades, while maples build their crowns faster and start serving as habitat for birds and insects sooner.
The terrain, picturesque as it was, gave us a run for our money in places. Under a thin layer of soil lay plenty of stones, and the roots of neighbouring trees spread further than we expected, repeatedly forcing us to shift a hole or work the spade with extra care. None of that slowed us down: all 300 saplings went into the ground that same day, each one firmly mounded and watered to give it the best possible start.
The planting was paired with a short talk, in which we explained why we chose these particular species, how a young tree’s root system develops, how long it takes for a sapling to become a mature tree, and what role a forest plays in the local water cycle and climate. We also talked about why species diversity, in this case pairing oak with maple, matters more than covering an area with a single, fast-growing species. A mixed forest is more resistant to disease, pests and shifting weather conditions than a monoculture.
A team we will remember
Nine people from Novo Nordisk came out to Rokietnica, and from the first few minutes it was clear this was an unusually close-knit group. Jokes, mutual encouragement and laughter carried across the planting site all day long. At the same time, the participants took the subject seriously: they listened closely during the talk, asked plenty of questions and clearly wanted to understand exactly what they were doing and why it was done this particular way.
In conversation, we learned that the team usually works spread across different locations, often remotely, which leaves them few chances to spend time together as a full group. The tree-planting day became one of those rare moments of team bonding for them, and it showed in how they cooperated, split up tasks and helped each other through the trickier stretches of terrain. Toward the end of the day, the participants turned the tables and treated us to some food, a gesture that summed up the atmosphere of the whole event: warm, open and genuinely kind.
Days like this remind us how far employee volunteering can reach beyond its core environmental purpose. Yes, the most important outcome is a forest that will stand in the ground for decades, but just as important is what happens between people during a day of shared physical work outdoors, away from desks, screens and daily routines.
What we are leaving behind in Rokietnica
The result of the day is 300 new trees: 150 oaks and 150 maples, planted along the edge of the existing forest complex in Rokietnica near Poznań. Although this is a smaller area than many of our other projects, its value goes beyond the numbers, because it strengthens and widens ground that already serves as a haven for birdlife tied to the ponds and the Samica Kierska river, and that borders land under nature protection.
Oaks and maples need time to fully play their part in the ecosystem. Years will pass before they become home to birds nesting in their crowns, shelter for insects, or a natural filter for water flowing toward the nearby ponds. Yet every forest begins exactly this way, on the day someone decides to put a spade into the ground despite the stones and roots waiting underneath.
We treat Rokietnica as one chapter in a longer story. The municipality we work with has limited land available for new forest plantings, so we are already in talks about securing further plots, including from government institutions such as KOWR, so that in the future we can extend this green boundary by more hectares. Every such action, even one covering a few hundred saplings, brings us closer to our goal of restoring forest continuity in places where the natural landscape has been broken up by development and infrastructure.
We thank the Novo Nordisk team for their commitment, energy and genuine enthusiasm throughout the day. It is thanks to groups like this that more stretches of Polish forest get the chance to grow back, one tree and one action at a time.
