Planted by foresters, sown by jays

15 October 2026

After weeks of drought, some rain has returned, and the temperature has dropped. The air smelled of autumn, and it turned out to be a perfect day for a very steep climb. The bus carried us out of the city, through suburbs, and up Hármashatár-hegy, the Hill of Three Borders, until the houses fell away and we stepped into the forest. It is a young forest as forests go, and the children noticed how dense and thin it is at once. On the left of the path, the newer growth crowded in. On the right, in the ravine, stood a few large, older trees that seemed to belong to another century.

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Our snack was on a flat stretch of path, the very one laid out by Károly Guckler, the forester who began replanting this hill over a hundred years ago. Our sit-spot was near the top, in a clearing with a view that opened northward over Óbuda towards distant hills. We could see the island, and the tall conical towers of the old gasworks, pointing the way to our campus. We also noticed a few jays, flying back and forth with acorns held in their throats. Later, when we read the story on the lookout, the children learned that jays spend autumn hiding acorns for the winter ahead, and that many of those acorns are forgotten and become new trees.

We ate lunch on the other side of the summit, looking out over the green, rolling hills of the Pilis. Below the top, the children had a long stretch of play on a well-designed playground. They gathered leaves and spent time among the oaks, picking up acorns and admiring how much room those trees make for others. The path back to the bus was as steep as the way up. Going down is great fun, though it is also a little scary, especially when we quicken our pace to catch the bus.

Over the half term, whatever the weather, we hope you find a hill, a few acorns, and a patch of sky to share with your children.

- L.

Stewardship Educator for Nature and Regeneration

P.S. This week’s story, The Hundred-Year Forest.

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