A mighty chestnut tree, which in the mid-17th century overshadowed the small hand-tool factory of the Böker family, gave its name to Böker Baumwerk and serves as our world-renowned seal of quality to this day. And even 350 years later, trees, forests, and nature remain an integral part of our daily lives, whether as hunters, bushcrafters, anglers, or hikers. It's not just us and our customers who love the forest, but also the countless animal species for whom it is an irreplaceable habitat, essential for survival.
The increasing destruction of forests not only harms the people and animals who depend directly on them, but also affects us all to an ever-greater extent. Trees convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and provide shade, shelter from rain, and water reservoirs. The persistent drought of recent years and the extreme bark beetle infestation have led to massive forest dieback in our local forests as well. Experts estimate that by the end of this year, 400,000 hectares of forest will be irretrievably lost in Germany alone. This corresponds to roughly one and a half times the area of Saarland or 560,000 football fields.
Our deep and millennia-old connection to trees should be reminder, reason and motivation enough for us to preserve, nurture and promote the beauty and diversity of nature.
Together with you, we would like to make a small contribution to nature and climate protection. In cooperation with the Bergisches Land Forestry Association (FWV-BL), which is committed to the sustainable management of local forests here in Solingen, we will plant a Böker tree for every order received by the end of 2020.
Because reforestation is one of the most important measures to limit the temperature rise of our Earth and to protect the habitat of animals and humans.