On 25th November we challenged the status quo and tried to reinvent the meaning of this date. Under the slogan “Social Friday is the new Black”, the Breon team and various organisations from different countries, all held events where we’ve tried to give back to the community.
The mission we from Breon had given ourselves was to plant 2.000 new trees and reforest a small area near Skopje, Macedonia.
Who joined us and how it went – find from the article below!
The last Friday in November is infamous around the world for its huge discounts and the biggest shopping spree of the year. In contrast, the Social Friday Activity initiative organizes an event every year on the same day, where the goal is to give something back to the environment. By doing this, we as Breon and all the participants in the activity want to show the positive impact our small actions have on these four Fridays of the year.
It is a very simple idea, instead of joining the consumerist propaganda, let’s practice togetherness and community work!
The engineering office of Breon is located in Skopje, Macedonia, which in the last years unfortunately is very often named among the cities with the highest air pollution in the world. This comes as quite a shock when you consider the fact that Skopje officially has a little over half a million residents.
For a while, our team had the idea to organize a tree-planting activity, but the timing must be perfect so most of the trees develop successfully.
With this kind of activity, we were sure that we can create a positive impact that will outlive us!
Here are just a few facts about why planting trees are good for you and the environment:
– Trees hold soil in place which helps to prevent soil erosions, especially when planted on hillsides and other steep terrains
– Trees sequester carbon dioxide that humans and other organisms produce
– Throughout photosynthesis, trees produce oxygen that we all depend on to live
– Trees provide important habitats for wildlife and are fundamental to many ecosystems on Earth
– Trees make cities more liveable by bringing nature closer to the concrete artificial environment
– Children can learn more about nature by just being close to trees and observing their lifecycle
– Trees can help save energy by being planted strategically near homes and other buildings, this reduces the need for heating in winter and cooling in summer
– Trees are important for the physical and mental health of people and are always planted near hospitals to increase the health benefits of the patients
– Trees help absorb loud noises in the air, especially in urban environments
– Trees feed us and produce fruits for our families and communities
When organizing this kind of social activity, you must be able to rely on your partners, and Social Friday is a great example of practising teamwork outside the comfort of the workplace. By participating in this initiative, our team has the opportunity to meet and work with diverse individuals from the community while boosting team morale and proactiveness.
As our partner for the event without a doubt, we immediately contacted Treebanks. They are a non-profit organization from Macedonia with a mission to reforest the country – one volunteering event at a time.
We want to say a big thank you to the team of Treebanks for their huge part in the organization of the event with their professional knowledge in forestry and securing the proper location for the selected tree species.
Alongside them, the event was joined by the many volunteers from:
– Students from the Faculty of Forestry Skopje
– Student Organization ”Dren”
– Nula Otpad (Zero Weste) organization
– Municipal Fire Union Ilinden
– Secondary Municipal Vocational School “Ilinden”
Thank you all! The trees were planted faster and in a much brighter atmosphere because of your presence!
After the successfully reforested area in Ajvatovci, Skopje, the volunteers enjoyed the hot beverage stand with the much-needed lunch after the activity, provided by the awesome Treebanks.
We hope that our trees will grow strong for the next generations!
Do you want to participate in the next Social Friday?
Visit this link and find out all the details!
References:
– https://arbordayblog.org/treeplanting/9-reasons-to-plant-a-tree/
– https://greentumble.com/20-reasons-why-we-should-plant-trees/
– https://www.hobokennj.gov/resources/13-reasons-to-plant-trees
