Environmental competition 'Forest in a glass: why is it worth planting trees?'

Can a forest be captured inside a glass container - and help us better understand how nature works? This is exactly the challenge awaiting participants of the ecological competition 'Forest in a jar: why should we plant trees?', organised as part of the campaign 'Green lungs of Czeladź'.

The competition is aimed at primary school students and combines environmental education with creativity. Participants will design their own miniature ecosystem in a glass vessel, a so-called forest in a jar. Such plant compositions allow young participants to observe how nature functions on a small scale: how water circulates, how plants produce oxygen and how a natural balance can develop within a closed environment, offering a vivid illustration of why protecting and restoring these processes in the wider natural world is so essential.

By creating their own miniature world, students will discover that even a small space can reflect the complexity of a real ecosystem. Plants, moss, stones and natural decorative elements will form a tiny landscape that can continue to develop over time with minimal human intervention. This hands-on experience helps participants understand why ecological balance is so important, what role plants and trees play within natural systems, and what is lost when that balance is disrupted by human activity.

The competition also has an artistic dimension. Participants will be able to express their creativity while designing unique plant compositions and miniature green gardens. Each project will become a personal interpretation of nature, showing how differently young people can observe and imagine the natural world, and deepening the sense of connection to nature that motivates long-term care for it.

At the heart of the competition lies a broader reflection on the role of trees and green spaces in our environment. Trees improve air quality, regulate temperatures in urban areas, support biodiversity and create healthier places to live. For this reason, protecting green areas and planting new trees are among the most important and highest-return investments a community can make in nature and in the quality of life of its residents.

The competition 'Forest in a jar: why should we plant trees?' demonstrates that investing in nature can begin with education, imagination and small actions that build environmental awareness from an early age. By placing a living ecosystem in the hands of a child, the event plants something equally important: the understanding that nature is worth knowing, worth protecting and worth investing in. A tiny forest enclosed in glass becomes a symbol of a larger idea, caring for green spaces and taking responsibility for the environment in which we live.

Host: Henryk Michalski, eco-manager of the Czeladź Municipality.