Press release 05/2008 from June 2, 2008
Climate protection – we are taking action: Thinking globally, acting locally

Everyone is talking about climate protection. This week marks the beginning of a large project as part of our anniversaries (20 years of our elementary school, 10 years of our junior high school) at the Free Evangelical Schools Berlin in Prenzlauer Berg. Its motto: Climate protection – we are taking action: Thinking globally, acting locally.

The Free Evangelical Schools Berlin are state-recognized, independently operated schools in three different locations (Prenzlauer Berg – elementary and junior high school, Hellersdorf – the elementary school Arche-Grundschule, Spandau – the elementary school Immanuel-Schule).

“Our school plants a tree” – is this week’s theme. Students will dig a hole to plant a 15-year-old silver linden. The tree is a donation from the Lorberg Company (Tremmen) and will be delivered and planted on Thursday, June 5, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. With its height of about 24 feet it will adorn a spot in our schoolyard, where a tree had to be cut down last fall, with splendid green.

Yet the tree planting is only the first of many activities to come. Understanding the responsibility of our nation, our school wants to plant 60 trees in Israel on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel.

These tree plantings mark the beginning of a large, energetic renovation project for our land-marked building.

• Installation of a photovoltaic system on the south side of the school building
• Heat insulation of the school building
• Optimization of the heating system, especially the pumps
• Conversion to district heating from 2012 on
• Installation of a solar thermal system on the roof of the front building
• Renovation or replacement of all windows
• Renovation of the roof of our school building
• Renovation of the building’s façade in accordance with the monument protection regulations

With these measures our school advocates climate protection in a foresighted manner, all the while making sure that our students can learn from these activities. We are also thinking about erecting a building in timber construction on the 13 Christburger Straße premises.
To make this environment-friendly construction method with renewable materials even more environmentally sound, we want to plant the same number of trees that will be used for construction.

We would be delighted if you decided to document these innovative measures. We would also like to warmly invite you to the tree planting on Thursday, June 5, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. at Christburger Straße in Prenzlauer Berg.

Thanks for your interest!

Jürgen Ferrarÿ, Gunter Hänel
Public Relations
Phone: +49 (0)30 44 05 05 02
Email: gh@fesb.de