Romania: The Green Twin tree-watering movement of Timisoara

DW (English)

Volunteers in the Romanian city of Timisoara are using an app to locate and water saplings planted by the local authorities. Their mission: to make caring for urban trees everyone's responsibility.

Transcript

00:01An old Romanian proverb says that to lead a fulfilled life,

00:05you have to start a family, build a house and plant a tree.

00:09But no one ever talks about what happens to the tree after it's been planted.

00:13Even though it's summer and it's raining for three days,

00:20the earth is still burning.

00:23It's still burning and it needs as much water as possible.

00:29IT specialist Andrei Bora lives in the western Romanian city of Timisoara.

00:34In recent years, Andrei began noticing that the city was becoming greener.

00:39This is because the local authorities have planted hundreds of trees in recent years.

00:44However, due to climate change, budget constraints and staff shortages,

00:49they're not able to water the saplings as often as necessary.

00:53So, Andrei decided to do something about it.

00:56And that's how we started.

00:58First of all, with a bucket of water from home to the first door in the corner,

01:03and then with a bucket in the car,

01:05they're smaller and smaller.

01:07Some of them break, some of them break, some of them break, some of them break,

01:10and all kinds of experiences.

01:12But somehow we've continued,

01:14and in the time it's become a kind of hobby,

01:16to get a bucket in the evening.

01:19At first, Andrei's friends joined him just for fun.

01:22But soon, the Green Twin project was born.

01:25Graphic designer Tunde Meyer saw their posts on social media

01:28and decided to join in.

01:30In first of all, they can be considered a sport activity.

01:34Farmer's carry,

01:35with some 5-litre bags,

01:37with a bucket and then,

01:39and they join the people.

01:43And then, they feel more...

01:45They participate more easily in these activities.

01:48Over time, the initiative grew from being an after-work hobby

01:52until almost a part-time job.

01:54At first, the motivation was to get to school,

01:57but with what's happening,

01:59I started to get to school.

02:00I wake up walking on the street

02:02and I'm looking at school,

02:03looking at the school,

02:04looking at the school,

02:05looking at the school,

02:06looking at if they're tired,

02:07or not.

02:08For the authorities,

02:09the work done by the Green Twin volunteers

02:11is a great help.

02:13We appreciate such initiatives

02:15and, in fact,

02:16we are a partner of pride,

02:18that shows the engagement

02:20for the community,

02:21and the focus of the media,

02:23especially the summer,

02:24which has become more warm

02:27and more warm.

02:30Ionel Morginan has been involved

02:32right from the word go.

02:34Together, he and Andrei

02:35designed the Green Twin app,

02:37which shows the location of the trees

02:39and, in real time,

02:41whether they've been watered

02:42or still need to be.

02:44We have also the possibility

02:46to add new trees very easily.

02:49When you get to a place,

02:50you go to a location,

02:51you say,

02:52add a new tree,

02:53and it's a new tree.

02:54If you put it,

02:55you can also add a name.

02:59We put it here.

03:04We put it here.

03:05We put it here.

03:07We want to put the code QR code

03:14so that the tree can scan the code

03:17and see the data

03:19about who they are responsible,

03:20what species are,

03:22how they are called,

03:23when they are planted,

03:24and so on.

03:25To the world see where the trees are

03:28when they are sold

03:29and then they can do

03:31a trasee at home.

03:32In some respects,

03:47the app already resembles a game.

03:50If you water a tree,

03:51you get points.

03:53But this isn't the main reason

03:54why people use the app.

03:57I had a civic spirit,

03:59to say so,

04:00a little bit at the tent,

04:01to sleep.

04:02Probably because

04:03we are busy with

04:04our activities

04:05every day

04:07that don't leave us

04:08a lot of time

04:09for relaxation.

04:10And I realize

04:11that this may be

04:12very relaxing

04:13and you feel

04:15very good

04:16when you help.

04:18And the Green Twin Team

04:20really does help

04:21the trees,

04:22the city,

04:23and the environment

04:24in general.

04:25But its mission

04:26doesn't end there.

04:27Because,

04:28that's the goal

04:29for the whole world

04:30to protect the trees

04:31from the block.

04:32This could well happen.

04:33After all,

04:34their budding tree-watering movement

04:36has already,

04:37quite literally,

04:38borne fruit.

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