Last fall, it was once again time to grab your shovels at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences ! The popular tree-planting campaign, launched in 2022 by Environmental Coordinator Ulrike Bobek in collaboration with the City of Zittau’s forestry department, entered its next phase. The goal? To plant a tree for every new freshman—a green promise for a sustainable college experience right from the start.

This year, the campaign took place on a plot near the old Hotel Hochwaldblick that had suffered heavily from bark beetle infestation. Unfortunately, many of the Norway maples previously planted there had not survived due to drought, as forestry supervisor Steffen Peisert explained. The gaps have now been replanted.

The terrain was quite steep, and on this overcast November day, the sun couldn’t break through the thick wall of fog—but that didn’t dampen the good spirits of everyone involved in the slightest. Steffen Peisert and his team were firmly in charge of the planting campaign and made sure everything ran smoothly.

As usual, students were able to sign up for the event in advance to plant the trees on behalf of all first-year students. For some, the event has almost become a tradition—and a welcome break from everyday college life.

The event received not only active and financial support from the Student Council but also from the University Executive Board: Matthias Duscha, Chancellor of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, made a point of pitching in personally.