Discover Serbia organization initiated a reforestation campaign on our most visited mountain, Zlatibor. The campaign lasted two days, with more than 100 volunteers planting an incredible 10,000 Black pine seedlings.

The reforestation campaign was conducted on 15. and on April 16, 2022, at the foot of the Tornik ski resort. A team of engineers and forestry PhDs conducted a detailed analysis of the terrain to determine the optimal planting location. Based on their recommendations, the planting material was selected, with black pine (Pinus nigra) chosen as the main species. Black pine is a native species that adapts well to the soil and climatic conditions on Zlatibor.

The campaign received great support from several IT companies, and more than 100 employees decided to join. All participants were trained in proper planting techniques to ensure that the seedlings would be properly positioned and have optimal conditions for growth.

In addition to planting seedlings, an important part of this campaign was educating participants about the importance of forests and their role in maintaining ecosystems. The president of Discover Serbia association, Vladimir Pavlović, held a workshop and spoke to participants about the reforestation process, care for newly planted seedlings, and long-term forest conservation. The education provided IT company employees with an opportunity to connect with nature and gain awareness of their contribution to environmental protection.

This campaign is the first phase of the “Plant a Pine for a More Beautiful Zlatibor” initiative, whose goal is to restore the forest ecosystem, create a pleasant environment for visitors and tourists, motivate citizens, local organizations and businesses to engage in reforestation, and promote sustainability and nature protection as a key factor in Zlatibor’s development. Reforestation contributes to biodiversity conservation, prevents soil erosion, reduces the risk of landslides and floods, and improves air quality.

Volunteers expressed great satisfaction with their participation and the achieved results. Volunteer Mina Muzdalo stated:

It’s a wonderful feeling to be part of such a large campaign. Besides doing something great for nature and the community, the message we send by planting 10,000 seedlings is also important – if each of us planted one tree, we would live in a much more beautiful world. I look forward to new campaigns and invite all companies to organize planting campaigns with their employees.

Tamara Janković, volunteer:

I’m often part of such campaigns and I’m very happy to see how the number of volunteers grows from campaign to campaign. This means that people are becoming more aware and that they really need that time in nature and away from screens. With excellent teamwork and socializing, we managed to plant 10,000 seedlings, we are all very proud and can’t wait to see how it will all look. I invite other companies to join and launch ecological campaigns if they haven’t already.

The volunteers’ statements reflect the satisfaction and inspiration that the reforestation campaign on Zlatibor mountain brought to participants. Their enthusiasm regarding participation in this major campaign emphasizes the importance of individual and community engagement in nature conservation.

The president of Discover Serbia association, Vladimir Pavlović, emphasizes that all ecological campaigns of this association are multi-content and that, in addition to ecological action, they include promotional activities and education of actors and event observers as mandatory segments. He states that this is the first phase of the program and announces the continuation of events in September and October, and invites socially responsible companies and individuals to join the campaigns. Considering the team size and available time, an impressive result was achieved by planting 10,000 Black pine seedlings.

Through this initiative, we want to raise awareness about the importance of forests, their role in nature protection and creating a sustainable environment.

With the support of all interested parties, we believe that the “Plant a Pine for a More Beautiful Zlatibor” initiative will have a long-term positive impact on nature protection, biodiversity conservation, and environmental improvement. We invite all citizens, organizations, and businesses to join this initiative and together contribute to a more beautiful and sustainable Zlatibor.