Quercus macranthera - Persian Oak

Both sons have grown up by now: the older one studied and now works for a German consulting firm as a consultant, and the younger one has become a landscape gardener. That may be due in part to his mother Christa's family roots. She comes from a nursery. "During my studies, I helped out there on weekends," says Jürgen Heim, who studied computer science in Regensburg.

"We love our garden and the plants. I find trees particularly fascinating," says the 57-year-old and raves about Yosemite National Park, among other things, which he visited on one of his many business trips to the USA. The couple recently visited their sponsor tree in the arboretum: a Persian oak (Quercus macranthera). "I heard of the University of Applied Sciences anniversary campaign through the Lions Club Freising, of which I have been a member for twelve years, and through Rolf Lynen. My wife and I were immediately enthusiastic about it. I also find it particularly good that the HSWT also supports the mountain forest project with more trees," says Jürgen Heim. He admits that it was only in the course of the tree planting campaign that he realised that our European tree population only accounts for 10 per cent of the species richness and welcomes the University of Applied Sciences' claim to react to climatic changes with the trees of the future in the arboretum.

Preserving our nature and our forests is also important to him and his wife given their common favourite pastime: The couple hikes with great enthusiasm and endurance. On tours that sometimes last all week, they especially experience their environment and homeland. "Many years ago, we walked from Deggendorf to Zwiesel and back. And we have already crossed the Alps with dear friends from the Lions Club," remembers Jürgen Heim, for whom his love of nature probably means a valuable balance to his working life. The sales, marketing and service specialist has already opened up the European market for several American companies during his professional career and is now Director of Sales in Europe for a young, fast and steadily growing company. "I joined 6 River Systems in 2019 as the first staff member in Europe because I find our product extremely exciting. It combines my fascination with technology with warehouse logistics, an area I have been passionate about for 25 years," he explains. Indeed, this product could not be more compelling and modern because it is the collaborative robot Chuck, used in logistics process automation. Here, it can replace manual order picking in existing warehouse infrastructures and during ongoing operations.

While Jürgen Heim accompanies Chuck on his way to Europe, Christa Heim looks after children at the secondary school in Moosburg. The two of them will certainly visit their sponsor tree in the arboretum together often in the future. It is not out of the question that they will hike to the arboretum in Freising and take a break in the shade of their sponsor oak.

Distribution: Caucasus, Armenia, Northern Iran, in mountain regions, dry forests.

Size: 12 to 20 metres high

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, obovate, 6 to 18 cm long, yellow-brown autumn colours

Flower: strikingly long catkins

Fruits: usually several (up to 4) acorns, half in a cup