Croatian Scouts 'Paint it Back'
A project that literally rose from the ashes, and saw the whole country drawing trees, was founded by necessity after the worst fire season in 100 years. Boranka, an initiative of Savez Izvidača Hrvatske (Scout Association of Croatia), in response to unprecedented forest fires which devastated large areas of Croatia, is the largest European volunteer campaign for reforestation. The campaign started in the city of Split and is now being delivered all over the country. Over five years, the project has grown year on year, establishing Scouts of Croatia as a ‘Green leader’, gaining incredible support and backing from communities, schools, and organisations motivated and inspired to grow this project.
Boranka is a mash-up of the Croatian word for pine tree (Bor) and colouring book (Bojanka), which invites us all to draw a tree to help reforest the countryside.
At our 74th Annual Baden-Powell Fellowship, Impact Seminar in Dublin, we heard from Dan Spicer and Ivana Jarebica, Croatian Scouts. They told us about the unique path to create an Impact project that touched 100,000 + people across Croatia and around the globe. Be inspired by the video story here.
We knew we needed to do something [...] something big that will make a change, that will make real impact.” Dan Špicer, Savez izviđača Hrvatske
Boranka is a project that actively engages all ages. A robust campaign captured the imagination and hearts of Croatians and people worldwide, motivating them to pick up real or digital pencils and take immediate and enjoyable action, drawing a tree, so a real one could be planted. Ash crayons, distributed with local newspapers, were reminders of the devastating fires and provided a real connection to reforestation for those using the burned material to draw a tree to be planted. Volunteers, in turn, planted the natural forest that had been drawn and painted. In the last four years the project has seen a real impact in delivering measurable reforestation across the country:
100 000+ Trees and Seeds planted
10,000+ Volunteers
100000+ Ash Crayons made from the burnt forest trees
Primary and Secondary School Programmes
People can come to our activities for reforestation, to plant trees, be part of the activity, and make a positive impact on our local community and nature.” Ivana Jarebica, Savez izviđača Hrvatske.
The campaign actually connected to the whole world, so we have volunteers coming to this campaign, in Croatia, from as far as New Zealand, Australia, United States of America. Each year the impact is growing, and we are really happy to see that something that we as Scouts created and started almost five years ago, now becomes the largest reforestation volunteer project in the whole of Europe.” Dan Špicer, Savez izviđača Hrvatske
Boranka is an example of how the most straightforward idea can make a resounding impact. Pick up a digital crayon and be part of Croatia's most extensive reforestation action, ‘Paint it Back’! Visit the website here.
