Settlement Afforestation Program
In the frame of the “Settlement Afforestation Program”, Hungarian settlements with a population less than 10.000 can request street trees since 2020. The program is coordinated by OEE. In the three rounds completed so far, a total of 46,000 street trees were planted in nearly 1,500 settlements with the support of the “Rural Development Program Management Authority”. The Settlement Afforestation Program is thus the largest settlement greening initiative nowadays. More information and its results can be seen on the website orszagfasitas.hu .
13 tree species can be chosen, which can be successfully planted in different site and settlement conditions. Tree planting usually takes place in during community events, where foresters help with professional planting and provide information about the planted tree species. The trees increase the diversity of the settlement's habitats, and as a symbol of this, all claimants receive a birdhouse as a gift.
City Tree Program
After the success of the Settlement Afforestation Program, the “City Tree Programme” was launched, in which settlements with a population of over 10,000 could apply for a total of 7,000 street trees to increase the green area of their internal public areas and public institutions. The initiative called the “City Tree Programme” is a programme of MOL’s (Hungarian Petrol Company) New Europe Foundation, which started in the spring of 2022 with the cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Association of Cities with County Rights and the OEE.
Planting within the City Tree Programme took place in nearly 100 cities, often with the involvement of kindergarten or school groups. The participants received saplings and an educational programme, with the aim of developing a conscious attitude towards sustainability and the importance of trees and forests among young inhabitants of the cities. The educational programme provided by the Group of the Forest Schools of OEE takes place in educational institutions. Supported settlements undertake taking good care of the donated trees for at least 7 years and replace them if necessary.
Forest Rover Camps
One week, six nights, two hundred thousand steps - on 12 magical routes, the Forest Rover Camps await all students aged 10-18 who want to become familiar with the natural and cultural values of our country as well as experience the feeling of “wandering life” in the forest. During the camps, we provide accommodation in the forest, three meals a day and a variety of programmes. The groups cover 50–90 kilometres in 7 days and typically change camp sites every two days. The teachers organizing and leading the group also have the opportunity to complete a training for the leadership of the rover camp. The program started in 2017, nowadays we host approximately 5,000 children each year.
The purpose of the programme is to introduce and popularize nature trekking and sports among young people, as well as a health and environment-conscious lifestyle realized through them.
Forest Rover Camps are specifically "green" camps: we pay great attention to keep our ecological footprint in the forest as small as possible.
The Forest Rover Camps (http://www.erdeivandor.hu) are coordinated by OEE. Maintenance of the individual routes is carried out by specialists of the local forest companies, such as Bakonyerdő Zrt., Egererdő Zrt., ÉSZAKERDŐ Zrt., Ipoly Erdő Zrt., Mecsekerdő Zrt., Pilisi Parkerdő Zrt., SEFAG Zrt., Szombathelyi Erdészeti Zrt., Vérteserdő Zrt. and Zalaerdő Zrt.
The Rover Camps Program is supported by the Office of the Government Commissioner for Active Hungary.
Certified Forest Schools
The main goal of the forest school movement is to develop environmentally conscious attitudes and behaviours in society. It is important that children develop a complex world view, to get to know the diversity of nature, to feel the connections and complexity of natural ecological systems.
During the field exercises, a basic requirement is to create a direct connection between the children and nature. This is perfectly feasible in the forest, as children are constantly exposed to stimuli of all senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch) while moving in the forest. Nature, with its diversity, is an inexhaustible storehouse for the application of environmental education methods and experience.
Practice proves that the forester can be an authentic intermediary for children, naturally in close cooperation with teachers and all organizations and individuals who want to do something for the main purpose.
Qualified Forest Schools and their forest pedagogues hold regular professional discussions about their activities. The standardized system of requirements establishes basic material, personal, program-related and other conditions, which are regularly quality controlled. The use of the title "Certified Forest School" is decided by the Qualification Committee led by OEE. The Forestry School Programme is expanding beyond borders (to Transylvania, Romania).
Contact information for qualified Forestry Schools can be found on the website www.erdeszetierdeiskolak.hu.
Environmental education programmes at schools - “Forest in a backpack”, “Forest in schools”
With the methodological collection "Forest in a Backpack", we want to open a window to the wonders of nature and the technique of education through experience. Our goal is that with the help of tools and descriptions that can be obtained through the tender, kindergarten teachers and school teachers will be able to give experiential sessions themselves, if they may not be able to visit a forest school. Field tools in the backpack all serve experiential learning and many new games, tasks, and activities can be based on them.
The content of the backpacks include: a branded wooden ring folder (A/5 size) with informative materials, a type B birdhouse, Bird identifier, Trace identifier, Tree and shrub identifier, Fruit identifier of trees and shrubs, magnifiers, microscope, phone-mountable lenses, compass, flashlight and a first aid kit.
During the programme „Forest in schools”, forest pedagogues from certified Forest Schools visit elementary schools, where they draw the attention of children to the importance of sustainability during interactive sessions.
Exercise consciously in the forest! Run with the eyes of the forester!
"Run with the eyes of the forester!" series of challenges was launched by the Forest Sports Group of OEE in order to widen the scope of sportsmen in nature and to provide connections and interesting sights that we might otherwise run past.
Since the summer of 2021, we offer a challenge every season for the participants. In the forests around Budapest, we have designated cross-country trails that are full of important forestry points of interest. With this, we provide insight behind the scenes so that athletes in the forest can get a more complete picture of how nature and forests work.
The length of the routes is approximately 10 km, which have been individually marked. Participants can find out about the programme and current tasks by scanning the QR codes on the tourist signs. We will raffle 3 gift packages per season among those who photograph and submit the puzzle.
Exercise consciously in the forest! Discover the forests of our country!
The programme was created to bring forest sports and forestry closer together, creating a kind of harmony between nature and a healthy lifestyle. The participants could run, shoot targets, hike and take part in forestry education sessions.
By visiting various forest schools in the country, with the support of the local forestry companies, with help of local forest pedagogues, we organize forest activities for children, and with the help of local athletes, we created a forest run with the aim of making as many people as possible aware of the beauty of sports in the forest.