The Ekopolis Foundation and SLOVNAFT announce the 13th annual grant program Green Oases with the motto of ‘Let us plant trees!’

BRATISLAVA, 25-Oct-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — The Ekopolis Foundation in co-operation with the partner, SLOVNAFT, a.s., announces the 13^th annual grant program Green Oases. The topic of this year’s annual environmental program is preserving our natural heritage and related tree planting. A sum of €60,000 will be divided among the best projects.

As with the previous years´ annual programs, also this year´s annual program intends to respond to the current topics widely echoed in our society. The Ekopolis Foundation’s Program Manager, Milan Hronec, speaks of the need to devote oneself to planting trees: ”It is becoming increasingly obvious that climatic change we have not experienced to date immediately concern us as well. Prolonged periods of extreme heat and drought, on the other hand torrential rains. The development impact upon disposal of the existing verdure, particularly in the urban environment, needs to be added to this. In the countryside, another phenomenon is in turn noticeable – disposal of forest and riverside vegetation, and already of individual trees, including traditional fruit tree species along countryside roads. Maria Theresa issued a decree back then that alleys be planted along pathways, which not only designated them but also made people travelling agreeable. The significant landscaping impact of such planting is not negligible, either. Many alleys make up a major part of our cultural and natural heritage to date. Accordingly, the motto of the current year´s annual program Green Oases is: Let us plant trees!”.

The grant program Green Oases has already supported for 13 years now active citizens in non-profit organisations, local self-governments, school facilities and leisure centres in creating, renewal or revival of environmentally valuable locations and routes. The primary objective of the program is to promote permanent care of environmentally valuable locations that serve the general public, to encourage environmental protection and sustainability.

As many as 189 applicants became involved in the first round of last year´s annual program Green Oases, of which 107 projects were shortlisted by the advisory committee of the grant program. The program Green Oases is thus a visible proof of a strong interest in the environment and of an increasingly greater involvement by local communities. Inspirational examples include such implemented projects as a community garden at Vrbovec, a Garden Zone for immobile people at Olichovo, or a student-restored orchard at Banská Štiavnica that will serve in addition to learning courses to arrange for a variety of cultural and societal activities.

”Our intention is to get as many people as possible active through the program Green Oases in order for them to start being interested in their environs, to be keen on reshaping it, and not to be indifferent to it. The funds provided by Slovnaft are of importance, however the biggest contribution and success guarantee for the supported project is personal engagement by everyone who will lend a helping hand,” says Anton Molnár, Head of SLOVNAFT, a.s., Corporate and Marketing Communications.

The application deadline is 3 December 2018. The best proposals will be shortlisted from among the received applications by an expert commission in January 2019. For detailed information on the grant call and options of how to apply for a grant in the program Green Oases, see:  www.ekopolis.sk, www.oazy.sk a www.slovnaft.sk.

More information is also available from the Ekopolis Foundation Program Manager, Milan Hronec, at 048 / 470 10 95, 0911 452 457, hronec@ekopolis.sk.

SOURCE: Slovnaft