DS Smith Charitable Foundation funds a tree planting event organised by our Lithuanian packaging colleagues near Tauciuliai village, Sirvintos district.
In 2022, our employees first planted pine trees in public spaces near the factory. Being inspired and motivated by this experience, they decided to carry out a larger project this year. A project that would have an even greater positive impact on the environment in the local community.
After a successful application to the DS Smith Charitable Foundation, the organisation JSC Hold.Earth received funding for their tree planting initiative. Hold.Earth helps companies implement projects that support biodiversity and reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, whilst strengthening community spirit by bringing together people from different companies and organisations at their events. Being inspired by their cause, our Lithuanian site collaborated with Hold.Earth to implement a tree planting initiative, helping support local biodiversity and climate reduction efforts.
Our partnership with DS Smith exemplifies how businesses take tangible steps towards sustainability. Growing trees will serve as a reminder of their commitment to a greener planet, continue to offset carbon emissions, contribute to a more sustainable future.
Greta Šidlauskienė
Hold.Earth CEO
The tree planting took place near Tauciuliai village, in the Sirvintos district. As the piece of land was abandoned, the goal was to create a natural forest, enhancing the existing vegetation. Our team planted 300 trees in less than one hour – planting birch, black alder, spruce and pine seedlings.
Silver Birch - A medium-sized tree, growing from 15 to 25 meters in height. Silver birch commonly lives for 90-100 years, and more rarely up to 150 years. The bark of mature trees is silvery-white, with horizontal fissures. Leaves are triangular with toothed margins and ending in a pointed tip.*
Black Alder - At 10 to 25 meters tall, black alder is a relatively small tree species. It’s also short-lived for a tree, with individuals normally reaching 60 years, but can reach 160 years in some areas. Its dark green leaves are 4 to 10 centimeters long and have a characteristic inward notch at the end.**
Norway Spruce - This conifer is a large tree, which can grow up to 50 to 60 meters in height and develop a trunk of 150 centimeters in diameter over a 200 to 300-year life span. The needle-like leaves are light to dark green with fine, white-speckled lines.***
Scots Pine - A medium-sized conifer, reaching from 30 to 35 meters in height and 50 to 130 centimeters in diameter. The lifespan of this pine is about 250 years, sometimes up to 400 years. It develops an open crown with spreading branches.****
It’s impossible to exaggerate the importance of forests. They provide us with food, medicine, raw materials for building and also with paper on which the hopes, dreams and fears of mankind are written. Forests are one of the best ways to tackle climate crisis.
Rasa Mickevičiūtė
DS Smith Packaging Lithuania Production Planner
Our partner in this initiative, JSC Hold.Earth, monitors growth, condition, and positive impact on the environment after the tree planting, collecting data on absorbed CO2, and biodiversity. Once a year we receive wellbeing reports of “our” forest.
We thank all our colleagues from DS Smith Packaging Lithuania who contributed to this initiative with their own hands, thus demonstrating the desire to achieve great results not only in the professional performance of their daily work, but also in a broader perspective.
