A challenging year is over, yet despite the difficulties, 2020 was the year of important achievements: 387.000 seedlings grew in our nurseries, over 17 workers were hired from rural villages, a worker’s house was constructed and an  irrigation system was installed in the Benjamin Gumuchdjian Nursery in Gugark. A positive Environmental Impact Assessment was obtained for 456 ha of reforestation  for three areas and a total of 3.800 meters  for two reforestation areas were fenced, Finally, 70.000 trees were sown and planted on 20 ha

These are just highlights of what we succeeded to do with the generous support of our donors and we don’t stop! 2021 is going to be an even more important year. With your support, we hope to achieve our goal of 400.000 trees planted and maintained per year. To achieve that goal, a lot of work needs to be done. Our planning board is overflowing and as soon as the snow melts, work will start full blast.

We bought our first truck, a 2021 UAZ Profi 4×4 that can carry 1.5 tons up into the mountains. This will be indispensable to carry fencing materials and seedlings in the hard to reach afforestation areas. By putting a 1.5 ton reservoir or 1.500 liter, the truck will also be very useful to water the young plants this summer.

Construction works at the Benjamin Gumuchdjian Nursery, Gugark

During the winter, we finished the construction of our warehouse. 

Improving seedlings growth in 2021

Last November, we have sown more plants and more plant species than last year. As this is our

 second vegetation year, we have taken a number of measures to improve our productivity.

To explain just a few of them, we will cover our early seedlings with hay, to protect them from late frost. We will also more actively prevent diseases from damaging the young plants.

We will also plant trees and shrubs around the Benjamin Gumuchdjian nursery to reduce the impact of the wind, which in the summer dries the land very quickly.

Finally we are installing a zero-energy water pump in our Debet nursery. Indeed, last year, the lack of water seriously hampered the growth of our pine seedlings. More on that in our next newsletter.

New staff members!

Two special members joined the staff of the Benjamin Gumuchdjian nursery. The cats Debbie and Googie, female and male respectively, will be responsible for keeping out mice that ate the roots of the seedling. They are already fulfilling their duties with enthusiasm!

The number of our workers will increase with the start of the planting season and the new projects that we are going to launch this year.

Don’t miss our newsletters to learn more about our work. And if you want to join our efforts in increasing forest coverage, just click on the donate page and become a monthly donor.