The number of saplings growing in the MOME Forest has just grown to 40,000

Date: 2024.04.22
Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) has successfully completed the first stage of its nation-wide forest planting initiative, with the first MOME Forest growing near Garabonc. The saplings planted by the students in autumn 2023 are putting out their first leaves, and were joined by the rest planted by the MOME community.

In spring 2024, a group of 100 MOME employees planted 19,500 saplings over 4.5 hectares with assistance from the staff of the Balaton Uplands National Park, while in the previous phase, students planted around 20,000 saplings over 5 hectares back in November 2023. With last November's and the current tree planting, the university successfully completed the first phase of its forest planting initiative comprising three parts. To mark this achievement, a totem pole was erected. Designed by two MOME alumna Dóra Zachár and Imola Pojdin, the installation incorporates a bird feeder and symbolises the creative power of the community. It was installed using ground screws to spare the environment in the nature conservation area. 

In 2022 MOME announced the launch of its own forest planting action alongside other eco-friendly measures as part of the MOME Zero programme. Joining forces with three national parks – the Balaton Uplands National Park, the Danube-Drava National Park and the Duna-Ipoly National Park – it will develop new forests in three locations across Hungary over nearly 50 hectares. When grown, these will help neutralise the university’s harmful emissions and offset the environmental burden associated with the day-to-day operation of the Campus. 

The programme also reinforces the ecological awareness of the MOME community, includes a number of segments to be incorporated into the curriculum, and provides tangible information about the the interaction between nature and man and the principles underlying sustainable design, while enabling university citizens to master the fundamentals of ecological awareness, essential in the 21st century, in a practical setting. 

This will put MOME on a path to accomplish its mission for 2030 to become the first carbon-neutral university in Hungary. 

  

☞ More information about the MOME Zero campaign

More news

What’s the science behind cuteness? How might we rethink bulky waste collection in Budapest, or even redesign a fruit dryer? What does it mean to reconnect with nature, and is it really necessary to store the endless streams of data we’re generating today?

The 13th edition of the Friss Hús (Fresh Meat) Budapest International Short Film Festival, held in 2025, is Hungary's only Oscar-qualifying festival and a prominent platform for contemporary Hungarian animation. Many filmmakers from MOME Anim have premiered their work there, including Anna Flóra Buda's Palme d'Or-winning film, 27, and Balázs Turai's Amok, which secured the Crystal Award at Annecy and the Heart of Sarajevo Award at the Sarajevo Film Festival. This year's award for Best Hungarian Animation Film also went to a MOME alumna: Katalin Sárdi for her diploma film, Greenhouse.

From survival gear and waterless clothing care to floating cities and a 3D-printed beetle machine, these are just some of the groundbreaking ideas from the ten teams who have reached the finals of the 2025 ‘Jump into the Future!’ competition. They've now got just over three weeks to further develop their projects with their mentors before the grand finale on 25 June at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) in Budapest.
Member of the European
Network of
Innovative
Higher Education Institutions
9 Zugligeti St,
Budapest, 1121