“On Black Forest Day,
we come together as a
team to reforest
an area of woodland”
says Managing Director Marjorie Horl
as we set off from Freiburg to Oberried.
Day
People
Man-hours
Trees
square feet of forest
To mark our Black Forest Day 2025, we reforested a section of the Black Forest near to the Klusenhütte in Oberried. In the spirit of giving something back to our locality, together with a team of forest managers and workers from the forestry department for the Breisgau district in the Black Forest highlands, our team planted 750 saplings.
INTO THE FOREST WITH
JOYFUL ANTICIPATION
“On Black Forest Day,
For the fifth time in as many years, our team leaves the office and heads into the forest. The Black Forest is truly looking its best on this autumn day and conditions are perfect for our mission. “I'm already excited to see what trees we'll get this year!,” laughs Marjorie. In particular, we are supporting the team of forest managers and forest workers from the forestry department of the Breisgau district in the Black Forest highlands, who are waiting for us when we arrive at the Klusenhütte.
FELLED DUE TO
A BARKBEETLE INFESTATION
“The sections of forest we are reforesting today were damaged by the eight-toothed and six-toothed spruce beetles,” explains forester Jens Strauch. “These are both subspecies of bark beetle that specifically target spruce trees." The larvae of these beetles eat through the bark, which destroys the transport system carrying nutrients from the needles to the roots. In cases of an intense infestation, it can kill the trees.
IT ALL DEPENDS
ON BIODIVERSITY
In order to ready the Black Forest for the risks of the future, not only bark beetles, but also the environmental impact of storms, fire and drought, the long-term goal is to ensure there are equal numbers of deciduous and conifer trees growing here.
“We mix tree species to create stable, biodiverse forest stands that can withstand as many hazards as possible. This small-leaved lime, for example, can cope with drought better than spruce,” says Jens pointing to the saplings. Another deciduous tree is the sycamore maple and there are two conifers, silver fir and Douglas fir.
WORKING TOGETHER
AND GROWING TOGETHER
After a crash course in tree planting, it's time to get to work. While some prepare the soil, others make sure that the seedlings are planted alternately.
“The spirit is super,” beams Hannah from the People & Culture team, while attaching a growth sleeve to protect the deciduous trees. “Whole new team constellations are being formed.”
Susanne, who works in HORL production at our Todtnau site, and Gilles, who joined the French sales team four months ago, are also delighted:
“It's a wonderful way to get to know everyone a bit better.”
The sun is bathing the forest in a golden autumn light as our team becomes more and more accustomed to the routine. Light wisps of mist linger at the treetops, and there is a cheerful atmosphere in the air. Julia, who for nearly five years has advised customers on a daily basis as Sales & Service Manager, smiles:
“Black Forest Day brings us together. We have grown into a large team now, and all these shared moments are important for us.”
READY FOR
THE YEARS TO COME
We achieve our goal for the day earlier than expected: 750 saplings have been planted. After the work is done, we gather at the Klusenhütte for a barbecue and to share our planting experiences.
“Today was another huge success – we managed to plant all the saplings,”
Marjorie sums up. “And with the right people, it doesn't matter whether you're working together in the forest at 4°C or at your desk in the warm –we feel really good.”
