50,000 new trees for Stralsund - Stralsund's bold reforestation push plants 50,000 saplings by April

Stralsund has launched its largest spring reforestation drive yet as part of the ongoing Little Trees Initiative. The project, now in its third year, will see around 50,000 new saplings planted across 21 hectares of land. Residents have already begun taking part, with young families joining the effort over the weekend.

The planting campaign faced an early setback when freezing temperatures pushed back the start by nearly three months. Now underway, organisers stress that ideal conditions for planting will only last until late April.

On Friday, volunteers planted the first 1,400 saplings. The following day, hundreds more trees were added by young parents—each one dedicated to a child born at Helios Hanse Clinic. The reforestation covers areas both inside the city and south of Försterhofer Heide.

Yones Seoudy, Stralsund's second deputy mayor, has publicly backed the initiative. While similar large-scale projects with citizen involvement have emerged in other German cities in recent years, no exact figures on their number are available.

The Little Trees Initiative will continue through April, with residents and officials working together to meet the 50,000-sapling target. Once complete, the newly planted areas will expand green spaces within Stralsund and its surrounding regions.