ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
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Watertown, MA 02472
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PRESS RELEASE
April 21, 2008
Armenia Tree Project Concludes Spring Planting Season at Tsitsernakaberd and
90 Other Sites in Time for Earth Day Celebrations
YEREVAN–Every day is Earth Day for Armenia Tree Project (ATP). Upon the eve
of Earth Day this month, ATP completed its spring planting of 23,385 trees
at 91 sites around the country. ATP planted 22,085 decorative and fruit
trees from its Karin and Khachpar nurseries, as well as 1,300 pine trees
>From the Mirak Family Reforestation Nursery in Margahovit.
"We are proud of the work of our Community Tree Planting program which
plants trees all over Armenia, from public sites in Yerevan to rural
villages around the country," stated Executive Director Jeff Masarjian.
"Each year we are especially proud to accomplish this work in time for Earth
Day, which is celebrated around the world on April 22, although our
environmental restoration programs are conducted throughout the year."
ATP has continued its partnerships with a number of institutions and
community sites in Armenia this spring, including the Tsitsernakaberd
Genocide Memorial, the Sardarabad Museum, and the Diaconia Settlement of
Hope. Tsitsernakaberd received more than 800 new trees, including 100
indigenous ash trees planted on April 12 in collaboration with HSBC Bank’s
Climate Partnership program.
In the field of environmental education ATP plans to train another 540
public school teachers this year to use its "Plant an Idea, Plant a Tree"
curriculum, and already more than 120 teachers have participated in seminars
in Yerevan, Sisian, Goris, and Gyumri. ATP also planted 50 trees at the
Berdzor Reception House, which is located in the strategic Lachin Corridor
linking Armenia with Karabagh.
"This work is vital for Armenia’s future because the country has less than
eight percent forest cover as highlighted in a recent study conducted by the
Economy and Values Research Center," noted Masarjian. "Deforestation is a
significant environmental threat because of its impact on ecosystem
habitats, its role in biodiversity loss, and lost revenue from the
associated benefits of forests."
"Our work seeks to reverse this trend, and we’ve been successful in planting
and restoring more than two million trees at over 725 sites around Armenia
and Karabagh since 1994," added Masarjian. "We’ve made a pledge to the UN
Environment Program’s Billion Tree Campaign to plant at least 650,000 trees
in Armenia this year."
Since 1994, ATP has planted and restored more than two million trees and
created hundreds of jobs for impoverished Armenians in tree-regeneration
programs. The organization’s three tiered initiatives are tree planting,
community development to reduce poverty and promote self-sufficiency, and
environmental education to protect Armenia’s precious natural resources. For
more information, visit the ATP web site at
PHOTO CAPTIONS
Armenia Tree Project has pledged to plant another 650,000 trees in Armenia
this year as part of the UN Environment Program’s Billion Tree Campaign; ATP
has already planted 23,385 trees this spring at 91 sites including the
Yerevan State Medical University (ATP Medical University planting April
2008.jpg)
ATP has continued its partnerships with institutions and communities in
Armenia this spring including the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial, the
Sardarabad Museum, and the Diaconia Settlement of Hope; these children
participated in a planting in Lernanist Village on April 11, 2008 (ATP
Lernanist Village planting April 2008.jpg)