Hope Bridge Carries Out Forest Restoration Activities with "Dotori Volunteer Group" in Uljin Wildfire-Affected Area

Volunteers from the "Dotori Volunteer Group" are planting saplings and carrying out forest restoration work in the wildfire-affected areas of Uljin, Gyeongbuk. Hope Bridge

Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association (President Lim Chaecheong) announced on October 20 that it had carried out activities with the "Dotori Volunteer Group" as part of the "Forest of Hope" forest restoration campaign to respond to climate disasters in the wildfire-affected areas of Uljin County, Gyeongbuk.

The volunteer activity, which took place on October 18, was organized through Naver Happy Bean's experiential participation platform "Gabolkka." Approximately 100 citizens interested in forest restoration and environmental protection voluntarily signed up and participated in the Dotori Volunteer Group's activities.

Participants engaged in collecting acorns, planting seeds and saplings, and protecting sprouts as part of the forest restoration work in areas damaged by wildfires. In addition, with guidance from a professional interpreter from the Korea Arboretum and Garden Management Office, they took part in environmental education programs such as wildfire ecology explanations and seed collection experiences.

A volunteer is participating in forest restoration activities by planting acorn seedlings in the wildfire-affected area of Uljin, Gyeongbuk, while it is raining. Hope Bridge

Participant A (29), who came from Seoul, said, "Although time has passed, seeing the traces of wildfire damage still remaining made me feel heartbroken. I felt proud that by collecting acorns and planting saplings, we could help revive the forest, even if only in a small way."

An official from the Korea Arboretum and Garden Management Office, who guided the volunteers on-site, stated, "This activity was more than just planting trees; it was a meaningful opportunity for citizens to directly participate in the ecological recovery process. Together with Hope Bridge, we will continue to create a sustainable forest restoration model."

Volunteers from the Dotori Volunteer Group are inspecting the wildfire-affected areas in Uljin and observing the changes in the forest undergoing restoration. Hope Bridge

Shin Hoon, Secretary-General of Hope Bridge, said, "Thanks to the collective efforts of citizens, the forests of Uljin are coming back to life. We hope that this activity will inspire even more people to take an interest in addressing the climate crisis and restoring forests."

Hope Bridge, in cooperation with the Southern Regional Office of the Korea Forest Service and the Korea Arboretum and Garden Management Office, is creating the "Forest of Hope" in the East Coast area of Uljin, which suffered the largest damage in history in 2022. The project covers an area of 9 hectares (90,000 square meters), equivalent to the size of 13 soccer fields.