World Action of Planting Fruit Trees

Despite the fickle weather, primary and secondary school students from the Ljubljana Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing took part in the global fruit tree plantation drive initiative on Wednesday.

The children planted apple trees, ringloes, raspberries, and currants in the garden of the Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing behind Bežigrad.

The main initiator of the international campaign, which began in February and will take place on all five continents, is the Indian humanitarian Mohanji Mohan. The goal is to plant a hundred thousand trees:
“But that’s the minimum. We would like to plant many more to give food to all animals and people,” he explained.

The campaign started in America last week, with planned plantings in the Amazon rainforest, India, the UK, and South Africa. In Slovenia, the event was organized in cooperation with Paula Vouk, a teacher of mathematics and computer science at the institute:
“Knowledge is not only in books and grades but also in children finding their highest potential, expressing and sharing it with others. They need this inner richness, a sense of belonging, and value in society.”

Children’s Care for Nature

The students planted 20 seedlings of apple trees, ringloes, raspberries, and currants, which will bloom around the Institute over time. Urh, an 11-year-old student, shared his thoughts:
“I became interested in them when I found out how important they are for our planet. We wouldn’t survive without them, and they wouldn’t without carbon dioxide. It’s all connected.”

He continued, “Today, I’m working to beautify the world with increased oxygen from the trees.”

Why Trees?

Mohanji explained the broader impact:
“I would like to teach children that we are part of nature and need to interact with all beings. Humans are not a separate species that can afford to detach from nature.”

Paula Vouk also noted how children with special needs found joy in the activity:
“Here, children express themselves through creative movement in nature. It’s very close to them, making it an ideal activity.”

An 11-year-old named Nik reflected on the experience:
“You get special feelings when you help another being. You feel very relaxed.”

The campaign’s message, as Mohanji summed up, is one of selflessness:
“Trees also provide shade to those who cut them down. They live in the long run and bear fruit without caring who takes it. There is no division like in humans.”