GS Caltex Trains Citizen Gardeners... Creating Seoul Forest Citizen Garden

Training 100 People Over 3 Years to Manage Citizen Gardens

GS Caltex is launching an action donation campaign to create a citizen garden in Seoul Forest.

On the 4th, GS Caltex announced on the 5th that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Green Trust at Seoul City Hall to promote the Seoul Forest Garden School and citizen garden creation project.

On the 4th, GS Caltex signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at Seoul City Hall with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Green Trust to promote the Seoul Forest Garden School and Citizen Garden Creation Project. From the left, Shim Ju-young, Director of Seoul Green Trust; Lee Soo-yeon, Director of the Garden City Bureau, Seoul Metropolitan Government; and Lee Sang-hoon, Head of Public Relations at GS Caltex. (Photo by GS Caltex)

When Seoul City created Seoul Forest in 2003, GS Caltex sponsored a 500-pyeong (approximately 1,653 square meters) forest area, which they have decided to transform into a citizen garden where citizens can comfortably access, relax, and observe the trees.

They will also select citizens interested in tree and plant care, as well as GS Caltex employees and their families, to provide citizen gardener training. Those who complete the training course will be continuously offered opportunities for volunteer activities. Citizen gardeners will participate in the garden creation process, including garden design, planting and managing plant species that absorb more carbon, through practical training included in the course and separate volunteer activities.

GS Caltex will sponsor the citizen gardener training and citizen garden creation, Seoul Green Trust will be responsible for project planning and operation, and Seoul City will provide administrative support necessary for park creation and management.

From 2024, a total of 100 citizen gardeners will be trained over three years, with 20 to 40 people trained annually. After completing theoretical education and practical courses such as garden design and plant planting, they will continuously participate in volunteer activities for creating and maintaining citizen gardens.

Lee Sang-hoon, Head of Public Relations at GS Caltex, said, "We are pleased to carry out social contribution activities to create a carbon-reducing citizen garden in Seoul Forest, which provides citizens with comfortable rest and energy recharge," adding, "As an energy company, we will continue activities to reduce the Earth's carbon footprint to fulfill our social responsibility."