From Spreadsheets to Spreading Trees
"Regularly hitting the gym, and what does it get you? I'm already completely out of breath," says Marlucio. He stands with one foot on the peculiar-looking spade, pushing the handle hard to drive the tool deeper into the ground. "There you go!" he exclaims as the blade finally sinks deeper into the earth. A satisfied smile appears on Marlucio's face. "Does anyone have another sapling?", he asks.
Trami steps in. She has a belt strapped around her waist, carrying two large pockets filled with tree saplings. While she places the plant in the freshly dug hole, Marlucio uses the spade to make gentle grooves a few centimeters around the sapling. He then pulls the spade towards himself and pushes it away again to compact the soil around the plant.
"And now the pulling test," he says. Trami pulls on the sapling with two fingers - and it remains firmly in the earth. Success!
Tech recruiter planting trees: branching out from LinkedIn
Hands on Environmental Care
Trami is an Office Manager at PRISMA and Marlucio is a Tech Recruiter. Today, however, they are gardeners and foresters – just like about 20 of their colleagues.
The forests in East Germany have suffered in the past few years. Heat and bark beetles have taken their toll on the tree population. Now these areas are to be reforested. And PRISMA decided to lend a hand to this critical and worthy cause. As part of a sponsorship project, 8 hectares (19.5 acres) of forest will be replanted by 2026, with PRISMA covering the costs.
"We wanted to do something to reduce our carbon footprint. But we wanted to do something meaningful which would also improve the wellbeing of our community – instead of just buying some certificate to make the numbers look good on paper," explains Thilo Kassen, PRISMA's COO, who spearheaded the initiative. "After some research, we found this tree-planting project organized by one of our trusted partners. It was exactly what we were looking for," he adds.
Only 45 minutes away from PRISMA’s office in the heart of Leipzig, the Eilenburg forest needed some help. Most of the work is usually done by the professionals of the state-owned Sachsenforst, but on that day, PRISMA's employees joined forces with them.
Jan and Thilo - armed with seedlings and spades.
From Desk to Forest in 45 Minutes
In the morning, about 25 PRISMAtes arrive by bus. Some wear old jeans and T-shirts, while others already don overalls, rubber boots, and hats. "As a country boy, I take outdoor work very seriously" jokes Falk, a corporate lawyer at PRISMA.
Whether garden pro or desk jockey, upon arriving at the forest, everyone receives a detailed instructions from the Sachsenforst employees. "This is the Göttingen bicycle handlebar," explains Mario Kralisch, the district forester, holding a pink spade in his hand, which, instead of a normal handle, has a slightly curved one, reminiscent of a bicycle handlebar. "Sometimes it helps to twist it to open a hole in the ground," he explains.
Mario Kralisch explains how to plant the little trees.
Mario skillfully shoves the spade in the ground and, with an elegant twist digs a hole in no time. "Now the sapling can go in. These are two-year-old chestnuts," The PRISMAtes inspect the small sapling in the forester's hand. "It's best for one to hold it in the hole, and the other to compact the soil." The group splits up - some tie the bags around their waists and fill them with plants, others grab a Göttingen bicycle handlebar. After a few minutes, they are a well-oiled machine – PRISMA’s novice foresters cover the prepared area with young saplings under the supervision of the forestry workers who occasionally offer counsel and aid.
"I think I now understand why all the people who live long, and healthy lives have gardening as a hobby," remarks Lilla as she pounds the soil around a sapling. "After a while, you really get into such a Zen mood and think of nothing else: digging, planting, digging, planting, and off you go." For the UX Researcher, it's a meditative experience.
2.5 hours, 1.300 seedlings
Before they realize it, all saplings are planted. "That's it," says Mario Kralisch, looking into the empty plant sack. "All 1,300 trees are in the ground." After two and a half hours, the PRISMAtes have done it! Time for a break with chili sin carne on the beer bench.
"I would like to thank you all for your help," says Jan Glock, the district forester, during lunch. "It has been a challenge for the city of Eilenburg to restore the forest after the damage of the past years. PRISMA's sponsorship will allow us to turn the tide of this battle. Your hands-on support today was also invaluable. Some problems cannot be solved with machines. You must get calluses in your hands to understand their gravity.
And then it’s time for a musical surprise. As luck would have it, Jan Glock and Falk Porzig, PRISMA’s corporate lawyer play together in a brass band. So, they pull out their horns and play a small, exclusive concert to PRISMA’s amateur foresters. Soon enough, La Marche de Vénerie, La Lancon, and Le Point du Jour echo throughout the Eilenburg Forest heralding rebirth and renewal – an appropriately heartening conclusion to a sunny spring day.
