A new forest has sprung up in Zaprešić — planted by the youngest hands. Together with Project O2, KONČAR carried out its fifth afforestation action in the town, and this time the main players were pupils of Ljudevit Gaj Primary School, a Zaprešić eco-school.
During Children's Week, 45 of them rolled up their sleeves over about 1 hectare (10,000 m²). Together we spread around 3,000 SeedBombs — seed balls with native species (field ash, field maple, black alder and European hornbeam) — and planted 150 pedunculate oak seedlings by hand.
Some of the seed balls were dispersed from the air by drone. An Agras T10 with a payload of up to 10 kg was used, fitted with a precision dosing and spraying system; micro-locations and flight paths were set in advance to cover the terrain evenly while protecting existing vegetation.
"Using a drone enables high precision and reduces the need for people and machinery to move through the area," explained Goran Ladišić of Project O2. Alongside the planting, experts gave the children a short lesson on the role of forests in fighting climate change and the importance of biodiversity.
"Afforestation is one of the most direct and visible ways we can contribute to protecting the environment," said Petar Bobek, a KONČAR management board member. Last year's action featured children from the Vrtuljak kindergarten — the programme has been running for years.
Zaprešić deputy mayor Željko Barun praised the combination of local community, business and educational institutions — a message to the youngest that caring for nature is not a one-off act but a habit.
When innovation, community and children's energy come together, nature wins. 💚
