Trees grow in Poland through free send-a-seedling drive

Polish software specialist Tomek Wawrzyczek was pleasantly surprised when he received a 50-centimetre (20-inch) tree seedling in the post.

He promptly planted it in his garden but still has no clue who sent it.

"Who was the kind soul who sent me a seedling? Because I don't know whom to thank," he wrote recently on the micro-blogging site Twitter.

No one has confessed to the unusual mail to date, but from the packaging, Wawrzyczek, 43, learnt it was part of a citizen's initiative in which 61,000 free seedlings were sent across Poland.

Launched by marketing executive Jacek Powalka, 36, the so-called PioSeki online initiative let anyone order up to two free maple, beech, oak or spruce seedlings -- one to keep and one to give a friend.

Powalka's goal was to inspire people to do some good, be it by improving the environment or otherwise

The idea for the project was first sown on a "beautiful, sunny Saturday morning" in 2007 after Powalka set off to the nursery for flowers but returned with a European variety of sycamore tree seedlings.

"I decided that that year rather than flowers for my balcony, I'd spend the money on trees" for the neighbourhood's overgrown residential square, said Powalka, whose family has a long history of social activism.

He ended up turning the nondescript unused space into a park, making headlines in Poland.

Neighbours helped with planting and chipped in on landscaping plans. The square became a site for community events like summertime starlight film screenings