Around 25 volunteers planted trees in the Botanical Garden of Ulm University. The planting campaign was an idea by Professor Emma Sayer from the Institute of Botany. 240 tree seedlings were planted to defy the predicted climate changes in the future. The campaign was supported by the Ulmer Alb forest district of Forst Baden-Württemberg.

In light snowfall and temperatures around freezing point, two dozen volunteers, including many students of the subjects Biology and Psychology, gathered on a slope in the Botanical Garden. Employees from Forst Baden-Württemberg (ForstBW) distribute spades and seedlings. Professor Emma Sayer has drawn up a plan showing which tree species are to be planted at which location. She now distributes the helpers around the site and provides them with the right seedlings, such as beech, oak and lime trees (Fagus, Quercus, Tilia).

Last year, spruce trees had to be felled on the 0.2 hectares near the Fern Valley, which are managed by ForstBW, some of which were infested by the bark beetle and had died. Instead of leaving the area to its own devices, Professor Emma Sayer had the idea of planting a "climate-resistant" forest here and studying it over the coming years. "In addition to introduced tree species, we are also focussing on those that are likely to grow well under the future climate conditions predicted for Central Europe and are more resistant to extreme weather events or pest infestations," says the Professor of Ecophysiology. "However, we still know very little about the performance of many of these species outside their natural range, and even less about how new tree species will affect ecosystem processes or how they will interact with other species."

In the coming years and decades, the trees, which are always planted as a pair of native and alien species, will be used for research. Biology students can carry out pilot studies and bachelor's or master's theses on the topics of tree biology, forest ecology, man and nature and species interactions. This is precisely why biology students Jule Kupfer and Karolina Haberland came to the planting event. "We think the project is very good, because it's important to find climate-friendly alternatives to our current species," explain the students, who also want to write their master's theses on the forest. "And it was also fun to do something with our own hands," they add. The Psychology students are also interested in the topic of "contact with nature in the workplace".

Forest district manager Thomas Herrmann is also delighted with the lively participation of the volunteers and praises the exemplary nature of the new "WandelWald" (Forest in Flux). "We need ideas today on how we can achieve productive and stable forests in twenty or thirty years' time. We were also able to convey the entire spectrum of forestry work today. This includes activities such as clearing, preparing, digging and initiation. I think this will stick with the students," says Herrmann, who looks after over 15,000 hectares of state forest around Ulm with his team.

The seedlings are still only around 50 centimetres tall and will need a lot of care in the coming years. The next big volunteer event will probably be a blackberry pruning campaign in spring to ensure that the young trees continue to have enough light and space to grow.

Text and media contact: Daniela Stang