Japan Earthquake Victims Honoured in Kazlų Rūda on Commemoration of Global Earth Day 2011

On 21 March „SWEDSPAN Girių bizonas" together with the Municipality of Kazlų Rūda (Lithuania) commemorated the global Earth Day 2011 that had been solemnised in the country for 19 years so far. The Spring Equinox Festival was overshadowed by a tragic string of disasters caused by an earthquake in Japan. In solidarity and sympathy with the Japanese Nation, sakura trees that bear a deep symbolic meaning in Japanese culture were planted in Kazlų Rūda Park.

It was the company „SWEDSPAN Girių bizonas" operating in Kazlų Rūda that took the initiative of setting up a small square in the town's park during the traditional Earth Day commemoration. The company took care of the seedlings––sakura trees, and the municipality allocated and prepared the planting area and provided a memorial plate. The announcer invited everyone to express their sympathy to the Japanese Nation by the minute of silence.

‘We wished to express our deeper feelings and perpetuate these tragic events. We yearned to find a symbol that would epitomise our respect for and solidarity with Japan, and altogether our joint responsibility for nature. This was how the idea of planting sakura trees that have a symbolic meaning of spring, love and hope for the Japanese Nation evolved. We hope sakura trees bursting in blossom each spring in the town square will remind every citizen and guest not only about the feelings and solidarity of our community but also how fragile the world's ecological balance is and how much responsibility for preserving and protecting nature rests on us so that its beauty would be retained for would-be generations.' –– Regina Zasienė, Manager of „SWEDSPAN Girių bizonas", makes a comment about the meaning of sakura planting.