A dozen trees for Waldorf 100

The Waldorf school in Neuwied planted new trees on the occasion of the Waldorf 100 anniversary project "Bees & Trees".

Parents at the Rudolf Steiner School Mittelrhein in Neuwied-Niederbieber planted a dozen on November 17, 2018 new trees and a number of bushes on their school grounds.The reason for the voluntary commitment is the 100th anniversary of Waldorf education celebrated worldwide in 2019. "Of the numerous ideas, we particularly liked "Bees & Trees! A project that is about creating of habitat for insects, especially for bees, which we also have at our school," says Gerdi Horn from the Schulland initiative. "But there are other facts for our actions," she continues to argue: "A tree is sustainable, as it produces oxygen for a long time and thus counteracts CO2 emissions, but also a small step against increasing global urbanization The hustle and bustle of today's world. And last but not least, a tree is deeply rooted in the earth, similar to Rudolf Steiner's study of man in Waldorf education."

"Our school is now 33 years old, and it wasn't just there all of a sudden. There were so many personalities that made our school what and how it is today. We would also like to remind and appreciate this commitment with the trees”, adds Heike Thütt, mother and main person responsible for the day of action. “Some of these people still live in our neighborhood and may come to visit us. Some have moved far into the world and are experiencing the 100-year festival in other parts of the world. Some have already died, we are also thinking about that”, Mrs. Thütt continues and ends her contribution with the fact that the tree “deep-rooted and widely branched” is the symbol for life in general. But the activists are not alone in this, because every Waldorf school worldwide tries to plant at least one tree at their school and thus symbolically commemorate the founding of the first Waldorf school on Stuttgart's Uhlandshöhe in September 1919. In Neuwied, the "Waldorf 100 tree" is the Ginkgo biloba, which has been named the tree of the millennium. It is considered a memorial for environmental protection and peace (Tree of the Year Board of Trustees). He has an incredible past, is revered by many cultures and is the symbol of a world tree. That is why this tree gets its place in a central place in the schoolyard, which is also suitable for encounters. It's about setting signs and a gesture that can be understood as »growing towards and together«.