The unexpectedly late and long spring planting is now over: we planted 300,191 trees, out of which 276,591 trees have been planted in Lernajur, Lori region and 23,600 in Tsakhkunk, Gegharkunik region.

This spring, around 150 people from local communities joined the planting operations. They came from Jrashen, Lernapat, Privolni, Metsavan, Stepanavan, Gyulagarak, Petrovka, Katnarat, Aznvadzor, Vanadzor, Spitak, Dzoramut, and Tsaghkaber - our impact geography was quite important, from Tashir and Stepanavan to Spitak and Pambak communities.

This spring, we planted 125,000 trees with the grant of the Swiss Development Agency, within the framework of FORACCA, a four-year forest restoration project. 

Weather was the most important challenge of this season. Snow melted quite late - we started only on April 22, the latest date in our organisation’s history, and it rained almost every other day. Because of that, we had to plant over a longer period, ending only on May 18. 

Spring is the best planting season for pine trees, and we planted a lot of them: 176,155 pines found their place in our afforestation areas. Other species planted were: Wild Pear, Wild Apple, Birch, Oak, Hippophae, and Ligustrum.

Now these new saplings will grow. Root systems have begun to penetrate the soil, to bond with the underground and one day turn into a strong forest. 

We thank the numerous people who believed and took action with us. Each of our 300,191 vegetal newborns is restoring life to Armenian landscapes, and not only. Hundreds of jobs have been created, allowing all these families to see their well-being improved and at the same time take care of their immediate ecological environment. 

That said, we must always bear in mind the long-term project benefits. Climate change and biodiversity loss are real, threatening humans, with the most vulnerable being rural communities. Our action is directly and positively counteracting these pressures, and every planting season is a demonstration of our human ability to also push back land degradation, depletion of fresh water supplies, and biodiversity loss. 

As each one of us is contributing to the degradation, everyone has a role to play in this. Let each one of us demonstrate that we are not passive bystanders but take responsibility into our hands. By becoming a monthly donor, you are signaling that you, too, want to be a positive force for change.