In a city, human relationships always seem so cold, distant and fleeting. Everyone is for themselves, there is a feeling of indifference towards others and few things seem to be able to unite people. In the subway we push each other to get out first, in traffic we rush to get through red lights because we want to get there faster, in stores they're nice to us out of mere courtesy and commercial obligation...
This Sunday morning in Lisbon, more than 20,000 trees were planted by the hands, hoes and shovels of thousands of volunteers who accepted the city council's invitation. I was expecting a more political event, but there were no politicians (at least admittedly) and no one bothered us with speeches about the 'European Green Capital 2020'. That speech was saved for the social networks of the City Council, the Green Capital and Medina. At the site, City Hall employees were organizing groups of around 50 people from among the crowd that had been accumulating since 9 a.m. and waiting at the kiosk in the Vale da Montanha Urban Park, one of the planting sites (*).
Each group was taken to a different part of the park, with some planting areas being more difficult than others, depending on the slope of the land - the children, for example, were accompanied to the flatter parts. The holes were pre-made and the plants were in pots, ready to be planted. There were shovels, hoes, fertilizer and other tools that we had to share with each other because there wasn't enough for everyone. A technician gave some key directions and guided the group to a vacant spot; from then on, we were on our own.
The planting of the trees became a community moment, the like of which is rarely seen in a city. Lisbon became greener, but this initiative had an interesting side effect: it got strangers to socialize with each other, to help each other, to get to know each other... And although many people went with friends or family, they were "forced" to interact with strangers - sometimes because they lacked a hoe, sometimes because they ran out of fertilizer and had to get more from the "base".
Lisbon needs trees - and this unprecedented initiative has planted 21,000 new trees in the capital, with faith that Nature will now let them survive - but Lisbon also needs that community spirit. Events organized by the City Council can always be dull and boring, but initiatives like this, which are simple (and fun), can help to humanize the city and strengthen the bonds between people, which are always so cold, distant and fleeting. Here come more tree plantings!
(*) The Vale da Montanha Urban Park, located between Areeiro and Chelas, has a direct connection to two other urban parks - Bela Vista and Vale de Chelas - and thus forms a large green area in the heart of the city.
