1,500 seedlings were planted in Bor and Majdanpek on International Day of Forests
The afforestation action was carried out by preschool and high school students
In five years, Serbia Zijin Copper greened 315 hectares of degraded mining areas and planted more than 618,000 seedlings in Bor and Majdanpek. – As a pioneer of green mining in Serbia, the Company recultivated impressive areas of degraded land using the most modern methods, so 125,000 square meters of sloping and rocky terrain were grassed using only the hydroseeding technique.
BOR, MAJDANPEK. – International Day of Forests, March 21, this year is celebrated under the slogan “Forests and innovations – new solutions for a better world”. Serbia Zijin Copper, as a pioneer of green mining in the country, recultivated impressive areas of degraded land using the most modern methods. 125,000 square meters of sloping and rocky terrain were grassed using only the hydroseeding technique. Hydroseeding is a simple and quick way of greening large and very inaccessible areas, and in the Bor and Majdanpek mines this method came to life with the arrival of the Chinese Zijin. The procedure involves spraying the soil with a mixture of seeds, water, fertilizer, and protective mulch, after which a green cover is formed very quickly, in five to seven days.
Serbia Zijin Copper celebrated this important day with reforestation actions in Bor and Majdanpek, in which children participated in both cities. Majdanpek high school students planted more than 1,000 black pine seedlings at the flotation tailings pond “Vančev Potok”, and the seedlings and logistics were provided by the Majdanpek Copper Mine.
– We invited the young to join us in the afforestation campaign because it is important for them to understand that this is an investment in their better future. The majority will stay to live and work in the city, which now offers significantly greater opportunities. It is important that they learn in time that mining can be green and sustainable and that with joint actions we can improve the environment – said the manager of the Majdanpek Copper Mine Nebojša Stojanović.
Since the restoration of forest ecosystems is a prerequisite for the healthy development of future generations, Serbia Zijin Copper donated 500 seedlings of different trees to the preschool institution “Bambi” in Bor on the same day. Preschoolers, their teachers and representatives of the Company enriched the nursery yard with seedlings and hope that future generations will play in the shade of those trees.
Forests are important because they produce oxygen, without them we cannot breathe, says six-year-old Olga Katić from the “Bambi” preschool institution. – For forests to be beautiful and grow, they need sun, water and a lot of love, just like children. They are also home to wild animals, so we have to take care of them – thinks little Olga.
Over the past five years, as part of numerous environmental projects, Serbia Zijin Copper planted more than 618,000 seedlings and greened almost 315 hectares of degraded land in order to reduce the impact of mining activities on the environment. 36 million US dollars were invested in greening, and the most demanding projects include the greening of the flotation tailings pond of the “Veliki Krivelj” mine and the Majdanpek Copper Mine, the reclamation of the old open pit waste dump, as well as the landscaping of mine and factory areas.
Being aware that forests are a valuable natural resource and that they are responsible for mitigating climate change, purifying the air from dust and preventing erosion and landslides, Serbia Zijin Copper allocated seven million dollars for the restoration of biodiversity just last year. In Bor and Majdanpek, new green areas were created and almost 400,000 seedlings of trees, ornamental shrubs, and flowers were planted.
Zong Junhua, Deputy General Manager of Serbia Zijin Copper, in charge of environmental protection, announced the continuation of work on the reclamation of land degraded by decades of mining activities and the greening of an additional 30,000 square meters of surface this year, while the mine’s “green oases” will be enriched by 200,000 different seedlings. He also emphasized that the environmental component is an integral part of every mining and construction project of the Company.
