About us

Debrecen, Hungary – the historical cityscape in spring

About Ökováros Alapítvány
(Eco-City Foundation)

Established: 2008 | Eastern Hungary (Debrecen region)

EU Participant Identification Code (PIC): 861022247

Our Mission & Track Record

Established in 2008, Ökováros Alapítvány is an independent Hungarian environmental NGO operating at the intersection of urban ecology, community biodiversity conservation, and nature-based solutions. Over nearly two decades of active work, we have evolved from grassroots urban planting and youth mobilization into a dedicated regional knowledge and visual communication hub.

Practical climate action: community-led tree planting and care in urban spaces

Key Milestones & Practical Experience

Urban Forestry Roots & Global Campaigns (2010–2011):

Supported by the Ministry of Rural Development ("Zöld Forrás" program), municipality partners, local utilities, scouting troops, and school students, our early initiatives restored degraded urban tree lines with resilient native species.
From the outset, our tree plantings were registered under the UN Environment Billion Tree Campaign (and later the global Plant-for-the-Planet / Trillion Tree Campaign).

Resilient green corridors: managing open urban natural areas and biodiversity

Organizational Development & Ecological Monitoring (2012–2017):

Following early pilot plantings, our foundation focused on monitoring urban vegetation survival, analyzing micro-climatic resilience, and synthesizing urban ecological frameworks, laying the groundwork for our subsequent large-scale civic and corporate partnerships.

Civic mobilization: youth volunteers preparing the ground for urban greening

Corporate Partnerships & Large-Scale Civic Mobilization (2018–2020):

Collaborated with major corporations (including E.ON Hungária and National Instruments Hungary) and regional commercial centers (e.g., "Fórum Liget") on urban greening and public tree planting. In regional public grant competitions (Tesco "You Choose, We Help"), our initiatives earned 1st place with over 47,000 citizen votes, demonstrating deep local trust and mobilization capacity.

Environmental education: our children's art competition and exhibition on the "Wood Wide Web" (the underground network of trees and fungi)

Creative Science Education & Academic Outreach (2019–2021):

o "The Wood-Wide Web" (Beszélgető fák): Educational arts and science initiative translating subterranean mycorrhizal networks into accessible public exhibits in major urban spaces, with outdoor interpretive signs crafted in partnership with vocational carpentry students.

o "Our Tiny Friends" (Apró barátaink, 2021): A dedicated environmental education drawing contest launched in alignment with global pollinator protection initiatives, adapted during the pandemic into an interactive digital learning program for primary school pupils.

o University & Youth Cooperation (2021): Participated in regional sustainability roundtables organized by the National Youth Council (NIT) with city leaders and local NGOs, and engaged university students at the University of Debrecen Green Expo (DEHÖK Zöld Börze).

Biodiversity in focus: supporting urban pollinators and insect habitats

Urban Pollinator Sanctuaries & Park Revitalization (2021):

Established dedicated pollinator gardens in historic urban parklands, introducing flowering shrub layers to provide essential forage and nesting micro-habitats for vulnerable pollinators while revitalizing public community space.

Community outreach: youth environmental action in local neighborhoods

Urban Green Corridors & Pollution Buffers (2023):

Planted layered green buffer zones along high-traffic downtown transit routes to capture particulate dust, buffer street noise, reduce urban heat island effects, and protect pedestrian zones in direct cooperation with local residents and student community volunteers.

Sensory learning: a toddler exploring our community-built barefoot sensory path

Nature-Based Therapeutic & Sensory Garden (2023–2024):

Designed and constructed a biophilic sensory rehabilitation garden featuring a natural barefoot path, aromatic shrubs, and medicinal herbs at a regional pediatric rehabilitation center to support motor coordination and sensory therapy.

Wildlife-friendly installations: a community-built insect hotel supporting urban biodiversity

"Wildlife-Friendly Garden" Civic Campaign (Ongoing):

Engaging thousands of households across the region to foster wildlife-conscious gardening practices, safeguarding pollinators, birds, hedgehogs, and urban micro-habitats.

Visual educational toolkit: practical garden survival and alternative water-use techniques during drinking water restrictions and severe drought

Current Strategic Focus: Digital Knowledge Hub & Dissemination

Drawing on 18 years of direct planting, civic mobilization, and ecological education, our knowledge platform varosokologia.hu translates cutting-edge ecological research into clear, accessible visual infographics and practical manuals. We specialize in nature-based solutions (NbS), sponge cities, rainwater retention, drought mitigation, soil health, wildlife-friendly gardens (supporting solitary bees, hedgehogs, and nocturnal biodiversity), and resilient green corridors.

Community programs: public outreach and interactive ecological education

EU Partnership Profile

Registered under PIC 861022247, we welcome cooperation within European consortia (Horizon Europe, LIFE, CERV, Erasmus+) in the areas of:

• Visual science communication & digital dissemination toolkits: evidence-based infographics, public manuals, and educational materials.

• Citizen science, community outreach, and youth environmental action: grassroots mobilization and digital learning.

• Nature-based solutions (NbS) and regional urban ecology case studies: testing and analyzing ecological practices in Central-Eastern European urban environments.

Contact: okovaros@gmail.com

About Ökováros Alapítvány
(Eco-City Foundation)

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About Ökováros Alapítvány (Eco-City Foundation)

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About Ökováros Alapítvány
(Eco-City Foundation)