April 2007: The Ringeisen Gymnasium joins Plant-for-the-Planet

On Thursday, 12th April at 8.00 am the English Course Form 12 of the Ringeisen-Gymnasium in Ursberg met to plant 900 trees. Dressed in the 'Plant-For-The Planet' T-shirt and, of course, rubber boots, we marched to the forest called 'Herrgottsruh' which belongs to the Franciscan Sisters of the Congregation of St. Joseph, who are also the body responsible for our Secondary School. There we were met by Mr Hubert Forstner, the forester in charge of all the forests in our district. He did not only provide us with special planting spades, but also with lots of interesting information regarding the situation of forests in Germany in general.

Then we went to our work-place, an immense clearing, already fenced in by industrious woodsmen. After Mr Forstner had demonstrated how the Wild Cherries abd Beeches had to be planted, we started, full of energy and enthusiasm: the boys digging the holes and the girls carefully inserting the saplings. And we planted and planted and planted until the very last sapling stuck in the soil. At lunch-time our task was completed. Tired, but with a feeling of immense satisfaction, we marched back to our school – very happy in the knowledge that we had done something for ourselves, for the climate and the future of our beautiful planet Earth.
Karolina Spengler, the responsible teacher of the Ringeisen Gymnasium, is happy to help other schools with her experience. You can contact her at [email protected]