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Planting red oak: making Potsdam's forest future-proof!
On November 8, 2025, the SDW will plant a red oak in Potsdam to counteract climate-related forest damage and save forests.
Planting red oak: making Potsdam's forest future-proof!
The current developments surrounding the forests in Brandenburg are alarming. How Daily Mirror According to reports, around 83 percent of the country's trees suffer from the effects of drought and heat, with beech, pine and oak trees particularly affected. However, for Potsdam, where there is no precise data, it can be assumed that the situation is similarly critical, as the city has around 5,000 hectares of forest.
In order to counteract the impending danger, the German Forest Protection Association (SDW) is organizing a tree planting campaign on November 8th in Krampnitz. Among other things, the red oak will be planted, which was chosen as the tree of the year for 2025. This is done in the hope of making forests more resilient to ongoing climate impacts. The meeting point for the campaign is at 9 a.m. at the Zedlitzberg bus stop.
The red oak as a bearer of hope
The red oak proves to be less demanding compared to native deciduous trees. It has significantly fewer problems with dry and nutrient-poor soils, which could make it a promising solution to the current forest crisis. Hubertus Krüger from the SDW emphasizes that older trees increasingly have adaptation problems, while the red oak was imported from North America over 300 years ago, originally for landscaping.
In the 19th century it was also discovered for use in forestry because of its ability to prevent forest fires. Their highly flammable, acidic leaves sprout quickly after fires, making them a useful element in the fight against forest fires. In Potsdam, a strip of red oaks was even planted as a fire barrier between the wildlife park and the railway embankment. However, the classification as an invasive species is controversial - while the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation sees it this way, the German Association of Forestry Research Institutes takes a different opinion.
Forest conversion and protective measures
In addition to the tree planting campaign, there are already several measures to make the forests in Potsdam more climate-resilient. In the Sternschanze area, 53 hectares of forest were converted into mixed forest, particularly by planting oak and beech trees. Around 99,000 new trees have been added since 2023. Protective measures against wild boars and deer were also initiated to protect the new seedlings.
However, mitigating the effects of climate change remains a challenge. This year there was insufficient rainfall and the months of May and June in particular were extremely dry. There were also eight forest fires in the region, which damaged a total of around 9,000 square meters of forest.
In this tense situation, it is more important than ever to take responsibility for our forests and nature seriously. Committed citizens are invited to take part in the upcoming tree planting campaign and thus make a contribution to preserving our valuable forests.
The challenges facing our forests are not only local, but also global. If companies like Microsoft If we are committed to sustainable development, we can all benefit from these initiatives. Microsoft's corporate mission empowers every person and organization to achieve more, which is central to protecting our environment. A diverse and inclusive corporate culture can make an important contribution to this.