NIKIN has already planted a million trees. To celebrate this milestone, NIKIN adopted a 100-year-old beech tree. It symbolizes one million trees planted around the world.
One million trees: an incredible number. To celebrate this milestone, NIKIN adopted an impressive, mighty beech tree at the Fünfweiher lake in Lenzburg. It symbolizes one million trees around the world.
Inauguration in a small setting
"We are proud and grateful to be able to dedicate the millionth tree today," said Robin Gnehm in front of the mighty beech tree. Only the two founders and two NIKIN employees, equipped with cameras, were allowed to share in this moment. This allowed the coronavirus measures to be observed while also capturing this special occasion for the other employees and the NIKIN community. The two founders ceremoniously opened the ribbon in which the NIKIN tree was wrapped. In addition, next to the tree, directly by the path, there is now a plaque on each side commemorating the millionth tree. Nicholas Hänny and Robin Gnehm were also allowed to install this plaque.
Exciting talk guests
Such a major milestone should really be celebrated – with a huge party, with all NIKIN employees and the entire community. Actually, because the coronavirus measures didn't allow it. To ensure that the NIKIN community still received exciting insights into the world of trees, forests, and NIKIN, we held TreeTalks. We invited guests to sit on our sofas – outside and at a distance, of course – and join us for a discussion. Three interesting TreeTalks emerged with the following guests:
- Nicholas Hänny and Robin Gnehm: They couldn't be missed when it came to the dedication of the millionth NIKIN tree, the two NIKIN founders. Sitting on the sofa, they talked about how it all began, how they felt about this special moment of planting the millionth tree, and they were tested. Since the idea for NIKIN originated in a pub, they competed in a pub quiz centered around tree-related questions.
- Matthias Ott: The city forester of Lenzia Forestry Services selected the millionth tree with us and presented it to us. In TreeTalk, he answered questions about forests, their function, and also explained why flying to Mallorca for a weekend isn't the best idea.
- Florian Landolt: The Head of Communications and Policy at WaldSchweiz gave us fascinating insights into the activities of forest owners, the forest etiquette that must be observed in Switzerland, and told us how one can even buy a piece of forest.
Millions more trees are to follow
"This is just the beginning of a wonderful story" reads the sign in front of the NIKIN tree in Lenzburg. NIKIN continues to plant tree by tree. "We naturally hope that we can plant two, three, four, or even more million trees," said Nicholas Hänny at the inauguration. When asked about the next major NIKIN projects, the two founders are beaming from ear to ear – this is clearly visible even with their masks on. NIKIN shoes are in the planning stages, they reveal, so that in the future they can be dressed head to toe in NIKIN products. And the shop-café, a cross between a NIKIN shop and a café, is also one of the tree-related projects of 2021. So things certainly won't be boring for NIKIN.
