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ATP Concludes Spring Planting at Tsitsernakaberd and 90 Other Sites

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  • ATP Concludes Spring Planting at Tsitsernakaberd and 90 Other Sites

    ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
    65 Main Street
    Watertown, MA 02472
    Toll Free: (866) 965-TREE
    Email: [email protected]
    Web: www.armeniatree.org

    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 www.armeniatree.org.

    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)
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