April 6, 2022 - Nestlé has planted a pedunculate oak forest at Lonjsko Polje Nature Park and donated electric scooters to support more sustainable forms of transport.

Nestlé, the largest food company globally, donated 115 pedunculate oak seedlings and four electric scooters to the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park. The seedlings together form a natural small oak forest, and each of them represents one Nestlé employee in Croatia. Electric scooters support and remind the company of the importance of switching to more sustainable forms of transport.

"Nestlé is aware of its role in shaping the planet's more sustainable future. At all levels of the business, we invest significant resources to contribute to reducing waste, the use of disposable plastics, and the reduction of water pollution. As part of the #ChooseGreen initiative in Croatia, we are taking concrete steps towards sustainability. This year, in partnership with the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park, we have focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming," said Laurentiu-Florin Dimitriu, Nestlé CEO for Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to experts from the O2 Project, pedunculate oak is essential for the entire animal world in Lonjsko polje and is a source of food for many organisms, from insects to deer. Many animals also found a home on the oak trunk. The bald eagle, one of the largest birds in Croatia, nests in tall oak canopies, while in rotten trunks or dead parts of the tree, we can often find larvae of the stag beetle. Just one pedunculate tree represents a small ecosystem, so we can only imagine what one forest of this tree means.

This green giant grows up to 50 meters in height and has a trunk diameter of up to 2.5 meters. When we talk about age, oak becomes even more interesting because some trees are as old as 1500 years old. The moment we plant a small 30-centimeter tree or maybe an acorn, we can expect this plant to witness many more moments on Earth.

"Afforestation of all areas of the country is important for countless reasons. The primary goal of our project is to increase and preserve forest areas for the disposal of CO2 from the atmosphere. Nature often has the answer to most of our questions, including this one. Plants are one of the best stores of carbon in the atmosphere. They use the process of photosynthesis to use atmospheric carbon to create food for all their processes. With each new afforestation project, just like this one, we are closer to achieving our goals," said Goran Ladišić, co-founder of the O2 Project.

From the Nature Park, they thanked the company for its support in creating a common green future for all citizens from the area of ​​Lonjsko Polje and the area of ​​the entire county.

"We are happy to accept this valuable donation. Pedunculate oak prefers climates with high groundwater that are necessary for its survival. Therefore, it is not surprising that this is one of the main tree species in the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park. We are richer by over a hundred new youngsters. Our visitors now have additional activity at their disposal when visiting the Park - a tour with electric scooters," said Marija Kušmiš, director of the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park.

Nestlé continues with strong local initiatives focusing on environmentally responsible behavior.

Photos: Lonjsko Polje Nature Park / Komunikacijski laboratorij

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