Small Steps, Big Leaps, and a Man of Action
OUR STORY
"I didn’t want to stand by and watch any longer!"
– Sören Brüntgens, Founder of PLANT-MY-TREE®
The Story of PLANT-MY-TREE® in Milestones
40 YEARS: FROM PARALYSIS TO FOUNDATION
1981
The Forest is Dying
The famous issue of the news magazine "Der Spiegel" dated November 15, 1981, was the catalyst for Sören Brüntgens to actively engage in environmental protection. Terms like "acid rain" and alarming images of gray, lifeless tree skeletons in Bavaria brought environmental issues to the forefront of German awareness. The core message of the time: "First the forest dies—then humanity." Disturbing and apocalyptic. But paralysis was not an option for Ruhr Valley native Sören Brüntgens. Action was called for, and he took it. Sören’s mission had begun.
2002
The First Tree
In the early years, Sören Brüntgens’ environmental and climate protection activities primarily focused on things that could easily be implemented in everyday life: signing green energy contracts, switching early to environmentally friendly small cars, and so on. But by the turn of the millennium, awareness had grown stronger: “You have to do more yourself,” recalls Sören Brüntgens. Said and done. In 2002, he decided to dedicate himself to reforestation work. The purchase of a two-hectare plot of land in Remscheid and the planting of 2,000 trees marked the true beginning of a unique success story in climate protection.
2005
The legendary 100 euro bill
“Seeing my first trees grow was a really good feeling,” Sören Brüntgens still remembers the early days. Following the tried and tested motto “Do good and talk about it”, he began to get his personal and business environment interested in the topic of trees. With lasting success. But it was a business friend of his who really set the ball rolling in 2005 when he handed Sören a hundred euros and asked him to use the money to plant trees on his behalf. Climate protection and business. Do they go together after all?
2007
More and more new areas
Short answer. Clear answer. Yes, climate protection and the economy, i.e. ecology and economy, go together. Perfectly, in fact. By the end of the noughties, the tree plantations on the company's own site in Remscheid had taken on enormous dimensions - and the first site in Bergisch soon became too small. New areas had to be found in order to keep up with the growing momentum. More and more private individuals wanted to get involved and donate. The first large companies also made enquiries. “Everything happened completely unplanned,” recalls Sören Brüntgens today. “I actually only wanted to do something myself at the beginning. But more and more donations came in!” And suddenly PLANT-MY-TREE® was born.
2011
100.000 trees
The first real milestone right at the start of the new decade: Sören Brüntgens reaches the 100,000 planted trees mark with PLANT-MY-TREE®. The media have now also become aware of the idea. In turn, the reports are ensuring ever greater popularity and increasing distribution. Companies in particular are now also discovering the topic of “climate protection” as an important benefit of their own positioning in the market and are interested in individual projects relating to the reforestation of forest areas.
2015
First tree donation store for private individuals
The wave of digitalization in public life did not stop at a thoroughly ecological idea. In 2015, PLANT-MY-TREE® implemented the first online store for private tree donations in order to be able to handle the flood of requests for tree donations, especially from private individuals, better, more efficiently and in a more contemporary way. This idea is causing quite a stir across Germany and takes Sören Brüntgen's idea to the next level.
2020
Establishment of the PLANT-MY-TREE® Foundation
Public awareness of climate protection issues is growing, not least thanks to the media. Initiatives such as “Fridays for Future” in particular are helping to encourage more and more people to get actively involved. And at PLANT-MY-TREE® you can get actively involved. Without bureaucratic obstacles. Without complicated procedures. But exactly according to your own ideas. More and more large companies are now also calling and no longer want to “just” donate. They have bigger things in mind, giving their employees two or three project days off and then - management included - spending days planting trees themselves. This ever-increasing volume is one of the reasons why the PLANT-MY-TREE® Foundation was established in 2020. To secure the planted plots in the long term and protect as many forest areas as possible from overexploitation as a common good.
2021
100 own areas - one million trees
Ten years after the sound barrier of 100,000 trees, PLANT-MY-TREE® has reached another milestone on its own climate protection mission with one million trees planted. And it's not just the number of trees that is fascinating. The planting projects are now spread across more than 100 different forest areas throughout Germany. Now that really is climate protection on your own doorstep!
2022
Own forest nursery
The next logical step! In the further development of PLANT-MY-TREE®, we are establishing our own forest tree nursery. This is necessary in order to meet the ever-increasing demand for high-quality seedlings and to minimize dependence on quality suppliers in the long term. A forest nursery is a special type of tree nursery that deals specifically with forest plants. It grows trees and shrubs from special seeds that are particularly suitable for planting in the open landscape.