This is what we are doing for the forests and for you

lavera Naturkosmetik, ClimatePartner and the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald ("Association for the Protection of the German Forest") have come together to launch a reforestation project - and you automatically participate by buying our solid soaps and shampoos.

Forests influence our climate

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We take natural forest regeneration into account in our afforestation project. This means that trees that have sown themselves are integrated into the plantations. The sustainable forests of tomorrow are mixed forests with many deciduous and coniferous tree species.

Forests have a direct influence on the global and regional climate. An intact forest also has many positive effects on animal and plant life, the groundwater table and water and air quality.

Forests are important for our drinking water

About 70% of the drinking water extracted nationwide in Germany comes from the forests. The trees influence the groundwater level because they carry the water deep into the forest soil.

The forest soils, in turn, ensure that harmful substances are filtered out of the precipitation because the water only reaches the groundwater slowly.

Forests provide clean, oxygen-rich air

We breathe in about 12,000 litres of air every day. Trees use the light, water and carbon dioxide to produce vital substances such as glucose and oxygen with the help of so-called "photosynthesis".

The German forest alone, with its 11.4 million hectares, produces 1 to 1.5 times the oxygen that German citizens need to breathe.

In addition, forests cool the air and improve the air quality in urban centres through air exchange.

Forests bind carbon

Every tree ensures its growth through photosynthesis and produces glucose and oxygen from carbon dioxide. The carbon remaining in the wood is in turn used for wood growth and is only released again when wood burns or rots.

Forests therefore reduce the carbon dioxide content in the air, which is harmful in excessive concentrations.

Each hectare of forest binds an average of 8 tonnes of CO2 per year. In addition, the forest in Germany stores 58 million tonnes of CO2 annually through its growth alone.

How do you calculate the CO2 recycling of a tree, e.g. a 300-year-old oak?

Over the years, a 300-year-old oak has developed a dry weight of about 2 tonnes of wood. The carbon content of this is exactly half, i.e. 1 tonne.

To calculate the carbon dioxide content taken from the air, the conversion factor 3.67 is needed:

Thus, a 300-year-old oak has taken approx. 3.67t of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and given off the same amount as oxygen.

1. lavera is planting trees in Germany!

In cooperation with Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald ("Association for the Protection of the German Forest") and ClimatePartner, we will be reforesting selected severely damaged forest areas in Germany. In the year 2021 alone, we are planning to plant 30,000 trees.

2. lavera is making the forests strong

We are already thinking about tomorrow today!

Working with experts, we are analysing existing forest areas and deciding on the tree species with which they should be replanted. We are planting only certified, high-quality tree seedlings in order to transform the currently predominating monoculture into a mixed forest. This will keep the forest healthy and preserve it for us. The key aspect is choosing native deciduous tree species that can weather the wind and storms and at the same time promote water storage in the forest ecosystem.

3. With the forest project, lavera is safeguarding vital nature reserves for animals!

Commercial woodlands play a vital role in our regional ecosystem. They are the habitat for many different animal species and an important nature reserve and sometimes even a nature refuge. Due to new construction areas and modern recreational behaviour of people, wildlife is losing more and more vital habitats. By preserving the commercial woodlands we are supporting, we are maintaining natural oases that help to conserve the richness of species and promote biodiversity.

We are preserving nearby recreation areas!

"We made a conscious decision to support forests that, on one hand, are commercial woodlands, and on the other hand, are also nature reserves for animals. Without help, the forest would die off, thus altering our environment and leading to the loss of nearby recreation areas. We want to restore the balance of the regional ecosystem and create the necessary conditions today for our forests of tomorrow."

Claudia Haase, Managing Shareholder in the Company

THESE TREES ARE SAVING THE FOREST

Deciduous trees such as sweet chestnuts provide for an intact forest climate. Unlike pines, the sweet chestnut takes deep roots and thus helps to rejuvenate the forest soil. Their canopy in turn protects from sunlight, thus shielding smaller trees and plants, along with the forest soil, from intense solar radiation and from drying out.

At the same time, the sweet chestnut, like all deciduous trees, carries rainwater along the trunk deep into the forest soil, thanks to its funnel-shaped branch structure. This improves the groundwater supply, and the entire forest can better withstand dry periods. Their foliage in turn forms a humus layer, providing important nutrients for a healthy forest.

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