Nowon-gu Hosts Tree Planting Event on Arbor Day

The 79th Arbor Day Commemoration with 350 Residents, Companies, and Organizations Participating in Tree Planting around Bulamsan Healing Town
Enhancing Residents' Awareness of Climate Change Response and Carbon Neutrality Practice amid Heatwaves
Steps Toward Biodiversity Respect Supported by L'Occitane Korea

Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will hold a "Tree Planting Event with Residents, Businesses, and Institutions" on April 5th from 2 PM to 4 PM in celebration of the 79th Arbor Day.

This is to actively respond to worsening climate change issues such as heatwaves and urban heat islands, and to raise residents' awareness of reducing fine dust in the city and practicing carbon neutrality.

The tree planting event will be held with 170 residents selected through prior registration at the Bulamsan Healing Town and the Bulamsan Cheonsu Garden area. The Bulamsan Cheonsu Garden included in the event site was damaged by a wildfire in 2022, and the district plans to focus on forest protection and realizing the value of respecting biodiversity through restoration of the damaged area caused by the wildfire.

Tree planting to offset the net carbon emissions targeted during last year's 'Car-Free Street Event' will also be conducted. The actual greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout the 2023 Car-Free Street Event, as calculated by the district, amounted to approximately 7 tons. Through this tree planting, the district plans to create an offset forest that can absorb the amount of carbon emitted during the Car-Free Street Event, successfully concluding the carbon-neutral net-zero event, which was the first of its kind held by a Seoul autonomous district.

The species to be planted include Cornus officinalis (50 trees), Styrax japonicus (50 trees), Padus racemosa (50 trees), Cornus kousa (50 trees), Rhododendron mucronulatum (1,000 shrubs), and Pieris japonica (1,000 shrubs), prepared with sponsorship from the French naturalistic brand L’OCCITANE, which is leading efforts in biodiversity and environmental preservation. The area to be restored through this project covers a total of 10 hectares, where a total of 8 species of trees will be diversely distributed and planted.

The district carefully selected the tree species in consultation with L’OCCITANE, considering not only carbon absorption rates but also the conservation of endangered species. Therefore, it is expected that this tree planting event will greatly contribute to improving the local environment, including soil and ecosystem restoration in Bulamsan Healing Town.

Furthermore, starting with this tree planting event, the district will actively promote afforestation projects at 10 locations scheduled for this year, including Choansan, Suraksan, and Bulamsan. In particular, intensive planting will be conducted targeting unauthorized cultivation areas in Choansan and illegally damaged areas in Suraksan, aiming to transform the degraded barren land into valuable forest.

Meanwhile, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Nowon-gu has selected the "10 Promises of Nowon Citizens' Practice," chosen through a survey of Nowon residents, to raise public consensus on environmental protection and is promoting various region-specific projects to establish a culture of reducing carbon emissions within the community.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, "April is a special month to think about the environment, with Arbor Day on April 5th and Earth Day on April 22nd," adding, "Through this tree planting event, we will raise awareness of environmental pollution and climate change issues and take the lead in practicing environmental protection."