FRANKFURT AM MAIN / SANKT AUGUSTIN, Germany, November 21, 2011 – Roughly 20 children planted around 1,000 trees on Saturday on the banks of the River Sieg in the city of Sankt Augustin. The planting activity, led by a forester, was part of a series of events set up by the student initiative Plant-for-the-Planet, during which children between the ages of nine and twelve were able to learn more about the effects of climate change and the opportunities they have to take action. Plant-for-the-Planet initiated the project “100,000 trees for the Rhein-Sieg District” in 2010, which in addition to planting trees and holding events also collects donations for climate projects in emerging countries. FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the world’s largest express transportation company, provides this initiative with financial support as well as assistance in event planning.
“The idea behind Plant-for-the-Planet is to give children the chance to help shape our future. This is done through activities and events, such as the one held today in Sankt Augustin, that help to protect the environment – and are a lot of fun at the same time,” said Lena, 14, a Climate Justice Ambassador with Plant-for-the-Planet.
“FedEx understands its social and environmental responsibility and that is why we support initiatives such as Plant-for-the-Planet. Our focus is on long-term and sustainable relationships,” said Carl Graham, Managing Director Operations, FedEx Express Central & Eastern Europe.
FedEx Express supports numerous environmental and social projects around the world. In Germany, FedEx Express has maintained a strong relationship with the children’s charity SOS-Kinderdorf e.V. since 2005 and has also supported a project of the environmental protection agency NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V.) since 2009, which studies the effects of climate change on the migratory behavior, wintering, and breeding habits of white storks.
Plant-for-the-Planet was founded in 2007 near Munich by Felix Finkbeiner, who was nine years old at the time. The objective of this student initiative is to plant one million trees in every country in the world. Today, Plant-for-the-Planet is active in over 100 countries, and more than 10,000 children have become ambassadors for climate justice who regularly organize planting activities and encourage other children to get involved. The project’s first event “100,000 trees for the Rhein-Sieg District” was held in Lohmar in March 2011.