E.ON Calling for the Summer Watering of Urban Trees

If we help the trees, the trees will help us: that is the basic idea behind this program. Green plants are essential for the livability of cities: their shade mitigates the heat, improves air quality, and provides a refreshing atmosphere. However, due to a lack of rainfall and drought, the survival of newly planted urban trees is becoming an increasingly serious challenge. The Főkert and BeEco Volunteer Watering Program offers a tangible community-based solution to this problem; this year, the electricity company E.ON is joining the initiative as the title sponsor and is also launching its own educational campaign.

This community tree-saving initiative runs from July 1 through August 30, focusing on those critical summer weeks when young trees need help the most. The initiative’s operating principle is simple and effective: by downloading the BeEco app, anyone can join in watering parched urban trees. The app marks nearby trees in need of water on a map with red or yellow icons and also indicates the nearest water sources.

Users water the tree, then log the completed task in the app to earn points. In this way, the system not only efficiently organizes tree watering but also builds community and encourages regular participation in a playful way. The app is available for free download from both the Google Play Store and the App Store, and joining requires no special equipment or knowledge – all you need is a watering can, water and a few minutes of free time each day.

The Volunteer Watering Program made a successful debut last year in Budapest’s districts: local communities and 1,500 volunteers armed with watering cans helped care for 10,000 trees, quenching the thirst of the young trees with a total of more than 500,000 liters of water. With the cities Pécs and Veszprém joining the effort, E.ON is encouraging an even greater collaboration this year. This collaboration aligns seamlessly with the company’s mission and values: building a sustainable future, responsible corporate engagement, leading by example, and playing an active role in the green transition are all areas that connect E.ON to the goals of the Volunteer Watering Initiative. 

The company plants trees at its own sites, but it also strives to maintain ecological balance, create and preserve green corridors, and choose solutions that cause the least possible disruption to forests when expanding its network. For example, the transmission line being built between Zirc and Litér will not follow a new route but will run in the shadow of the existing 400-kV grid to minimize tree cutting or disturbance. When grid development inevitably requires tree removal, the company replaces the trees through reforestation: as part of its grid construction in the Bakony region, the company is planting a contiguous forest near Lake Balaton.