23-year-old scout Nina Kapelj is also the leading face of the Slovenian reforestation campaign. Foto: Nina Kapelj's personal archive
23-year-old scout Nina Kapelj is also the leading face of the Slovenian reforestation campaign. Foto: Nina Kapelj's personal archive
The native of Postojna made her small contribution in the restoration of the country's forests. Foto: Organizer Osebnost Primorske 2014

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In January the leading media outlets from the Primorska (coastal) region announced the Primorska personality of the year for a tenth consecutive year. Listeners, viewers and readers recognized the 23-year-old scout, Nina Kapelj, who is also the leading face of the Slovenian reforestation campaign, as the most remarkable and honorable individual in society.

The true dimensions of an ice storm revealed themselves last winter. More than half of Slovenia's forests were affected by the ice storm. Around nine million cubic meters of wood, or 25 million trees, were damaged and need to be cut.

The native of Postojna made her small contribution in the restoration of the country's forests. "Our reforestation campaign was the second step we took, after offering help during the ice storm. Nature is our second home and we had to do something. It's not a nice feeling when you walk in the forest and see all the damaged trees. The Slovenian Forest Service helped us out and we created a nice campaign. In the first part of our campaign we collected funds through SMS text messages. By sending an SMS to 1919 with the key word 'gozd' (forest), everyone could contribute 1 euro for saplings (you can still send text messages). In November we planted around 28.000 young trees at 17 different locations across Slovenia. We had the help of around 800 volunteers." However the campaign doesn't end here. It will continue this spring when another 28.000 trees will be planted.
The scouts from Postojna did not only take part in restoring Slovenia's forests. When Postojna was literally covered with ice, many citizens were left without electricity and heating. The scouts were ready to help all the affected citizens – in one of the schools they organized a crisis center: "We offered a place where people could warm themselves up and have something to eat. Above all a place where they could socialize. You need company, someone to talk to and some kind of entertainment when you're alone for a week in a dark apartment with no electricity. We offered people a chance to smile again and feel better."
And what does the young enthusiastic scout have in plan for the future? "I will do good with all my strength and be the small change in the world. I will help create a better world," she says.