Press Area

Hamburg, 18/12/25. The environ­mental protec­tion associa­tion Trinkwasserwald draws its conclu­sions for 2025: 95,600 deciduous trees of 23 diffe­rent species were planted on 28.15 hectares of conifer-damage sites – thanks to the generous support of numerous compa­nies, which, despite econo­mic­ally diffi­cult times, sent a clear signal in favour of environ­mental and climate protec­tion. In 2025, a focus was on the Harz, which lost over 90 % of its spruce stands due to drought and bark beetle infesta­tion. Here, the associa­tion made an important contri­bu­tion to the ecolo­gical revita­li­sa­tion of one of Germany’s most severely damaged forest regions.

Hamburg, 21/01/2025. Trinkwasserwald e.V. thanks all supporters for their wonderful commit­ment in 2024. After the drought of recent years, which claimed over 500,000 hectares of forest, with the support of compa­nies as well as 618 adults and 42 children in 43 environ­mental protec­tion actions, a total of 22.9 hectares of forest were replanted – mainly on damaged areas that had been created by drought and bark beetles in recent years. A bright spot! In total, 79,685 trees of 19 diffe­rent species were planted. These Trink­was­ser­water forests will in future increase ground­water recharge by 18,320,000.00 litres per year.

Hamburg, 12 January 2024. Trinkwasserwald would like to express its sincere thanks to all children and adults as well as the compa­nies that, with their donations and active support in the forest, contri­buted to the near-natural planting of further damaged areas that died during the drought years. 82 children and 776 adults took part in 38 environ­mental protec­tion actions and played their part in planting 81,455 trees of 27 diffe­rent species. These new Trink­wasser forests with an area of 26 ha will in future increase drinking water yield by 20,768,000 L per year. THANK YOU!

Frank­furt am Main, 20 November 2023. With the „Wir für morgen“ Prize, Union Invest­ment supports projects that have made a valuable contri­bu­tion in the areas of social affairs, educa­tion and the environ­ment. Trinkwasserwald e.V. was honoured for its commit­ment „Wir pflanzen Trink­wasser“ in the environ­mental category as a flagship project. The prize money will be used to reforest a damaged area in the Harz. The forest had died off due to drought and bark beetle infesta­tion and, thanks to the deciduous tree plantings, is to be trans­formed back into a species-rich mixed deciduous forest.

Hamburg, 15 January 2023. In 2022, with the support and volun­tary commit­ment of 1,337 children and adults, 57.4 ha of conifer forest were converted into species-rich mixed deciduous forest. A total of 204,315 trees and shrubs of 34 diffe­rent species were planted. On average across Germany, the forest conver­sion will achieve a future increase in high-quality drinking water of 45,960,000 litres per year. A total of 51 environ­mental protec­tion actions took place. Accom­panying environ­mental educa­tion deepened parti­ci­pants’ under­stan­ding of the forest ecosystem, the importance of biodi­ver­sity, soils and the protec­tion of nature and its natural resources.

Nahren­dorf and Toster­glope, 06 November 2022. Today the final LZ-Blätter­wald planting takes place. For 15 years, Trinkwasserwald e.V. and LZ Landes­zei­tung für die Lüneburger Heide have jointly run the LZ-Blätter­wald environ­mental campaign, with wonderfully strong support from the local popula­tion. More than 93,000 deciduous trees have been planted since 2007 thanks to the support of LZ readers and subscri­bers, local compa­nies and many, many volun­teers. The LZ-Blätter­wälder now grow in former conifer forests, with the aim of incre­asing the amount of available ground­water and signi­fi­cantly impro­ving its quality. By planting site-appro­priate, climate-resilient deciduous trees in conifer forests, not only is ground­water recharge improved. The resul­ting mixed deciduous forests are also good for biodi­ver­sity, soil ferti­lity and the climate.
At the final planting of the LZ-Blätter­wald in November 2022, almost 200 volun­teers planted more than 3,000 deciduous trees (small-leaved limes, hornbeams and English oaks) in the two munici­pa­li­ties of Nahren­dorf and Toster­glope. Where a spruce forest once stood, which had died due to drought and the resul­ting severe bark beetle infesta­tion, a stable mixed deciduous forest is now growing there.