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ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472 USA
Tel: (617) 926-TREE
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.armeniatree.org
PRESS RELEASE
October 11, 2010
ATP to Partner with American Forests' Global ReLeaf Program to Plant Locally
Grown Trees in Northern Armenia
WATERTOWN, MA--Armenia Tree Project (ATP) has been working on an exciting
new partnership with the American Forests' Global ReLeaf Campaign for the
fall planting season. Our partnership with American Forests involves
planting 175,000 new tree seedlings in the Getik River Valley of northern
Armenia, where ATP has been working since 2004.
The seedlings will be purchased from families growing trees as part of ATP's
Backyard Nursery Micro-Enterprise Program. The Backyard Nursery Program is a
unique initiative that addresses the interrelated challenges of poverty and
deforestation.
"ATP partners with rural subsistence farmers who propagate tree seedlings in
backyard nurseries. Each family grows 500 to 1,000 seedlings which ATP
purchases when they are ready to be replanted in the forest, providing
desperately needed income," notes ATP Executive Director Jeff Masarjian.
"This model rewards families for their hard work throughout the year since
we only purchase the trees that are healthy and ready for transplanting."
"American Forests will provide a grant of $70,000 if ATP can raise the
remainder of the funds required to implement the project," explains
Masarjian. "Our Backyard Nursery Program received the National Energy Globe
Award for Sustainability at the European Parliament in 2008 and we are
grateful that an international organization like American Forests has
decided to initiate this partnership in recognition of our efforts."
American Forests is the oldest nonprofit citizens' conservation organization
in the United States. Citizens concerned about the waste and abuse of the
nation's forests founded the organization in 1875 and one of its goals has
been to assist communities in planning and implementing tree and forest
actions to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems and communities.
American Forests' Global ReLeaf Campaign has been planting native trees in
rural and urban ecosystem restoration projects around the world. The
organization plans to plant 4.8 million trees this year in 14 states and 10
countries to help restore forests important for endangered wildlife, clean
water, and carbon sequestration. Since the planting of the first Global
ReLeaf project 20 years ago, more than 30 million native trees have been
planted in over 600 restoration projects.
"Our goal is to raise these matching funds in order to purchase tree
seedlings and tools, in addition to hiring workers to install fencing to
protect the new trees and maintain the site in the first few years while the
seedlings become established," explains Masarjian. "The trees are all grown
from seeds collected locally in the nearby forests but they do require some
nurturing and care while they grow into a young forest."
An article on the National Geographic website in August points out that
ATP's Backyard Nursery Program in the Getik River Valley gives rural
residents hope, and that the money they receive for their seedlings will
help them maintain their homes, expand small businesses, and support their
children.
"As we approach the fall planting season, we hope Armenians will help ATP
meet the challenge offered by American Forests' Global ReLeaf Campaign to
plant 175,000 new trees in northern Armenia. This partnership will enable us
to fulfill our commitment to these families and plant new forests that will
sustain Armenia's people well into the future," Masarjian emphasized.
Since 1994, Armenia Tree Project has planted and restored more than
3,500,000 trees at over 800 sites around the country and created hundreds of
jobs for impoverished Armenians in tree-regeneration programs. The
organization's three tiered initiatives are tree planting, environmental
education, and poverty reduction. For more information or to support the
American Forests Global ReLeaf Challenge, please contact ATP at (617)
926-8733 or visit the web site www.armeniatree.org.
From: A. Papazian
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472 USA
Tel: (617) 926-TREE
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.armeniatree.org
PRESS RELEASE
October 11, 2010
ATP to Partner with American Forests' Global ReLeaf Program to Plant Locally
Grown Trees in Northern Armenia
WATERTOWN, MA--Armenia Tree Project (ATP) has been working on an exciting
new partnership with the American Forests' Global ReLeaf Campaign for the
fall planting season. Our partnership with American Forests involves
planting 175,000 new tree seedlings in the Getik River Valley of northern
Armenia, where ATP has been working since 2004.
The seedlings will be purchased from families growing trees as part of ATP's
Backyard Nursery Micro-Enterprise Program. The Backyard Nursery Program is a
unique initiative that addresses the interrelated challenges of poverty and
deforestation.
"ATP partners with rural subsistence farmers who propagate tree seedlings in
backyard nurseries. Each family grows 500 to 1,000 seedlings which ATP
purchases when they are ready to be replanted in the forest, providing
desperately needed income," notes ATP Executive Director Jeff Masarjian.
"This model rewards families for their hard work throughout the year since
we only purchase the trees that are healthy and ready for transplanting."
"American Forests will provide a grant of $70,000 if ATP can raise the
remainder of the funds required to implement the project," explains
Masarjian. "Our Backyard Nursery Program received the National Energy Globe
Award for Sustainability at the European Parliament in 2008 and we are
grateful that an international organization like American Forests has
decided to initiate this partnership in recognition of our efforts."
American Forests is the oldest nonprofit citizens' conservation organization
in the United States. Citizens concerned about the waste and abuse of the
nation's forests founded the organization in 1875 and one of its goals has
been to assist communities in planning and implementing tree and forest
actions to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems and communities.
American Forests' Global ReLeaf Campaign has been planting native trees in
rural and urban ecosystem restoration projects around the world. The
organization plans to plant 4.8 million trees this year in 14 states and 10
countries to help restore forests important for endangered wildlife, clean
water, and carbon sequestration. Since the planting of the first Global
ReLeaf project 20 years ago, more than 30 million native trees have been
planted in over 600 restoration projects.
"Our goal is to raise these matching funds in order to purchase tree
seedlings and tools, in addition to hiring workers to install fencing to
protect the new trees and maintain the site in the first few years while the
seedlings become established," explains Masarjian. "The trees are all grown
from seeds collected locally in the nearby forests but they do require some
nurturing and care while they grow into a young forest."
An article on the National Geographic website in August points out that
ATP's Backyard Nursery Program in the Getik River Valley gives rural
residents hope, and that the money they receive for their seedlings will
help them maintain their homes, expand small businesses, and support their
children.
"As we approach the fall planting season, we hope Armenians will help ATP
meet the challenge offered by American Forests' Global ReLeaf Campaign to
plant 175,000 new trees in northern Armenia. This partnership will enable us
to fulfill our commitment to these families and plant new forests that will
sustain Armenia's people well into the future," Masarjian emphasized.
Since 1994, Armenia Tree Project has planted and restored more than
3,500,000 trees at over 800 sites around the country and created hundreds of
jobs for impoverished Armenians in tree-regeneration programs. The
organization's three tiered initiatives are tree planting, environmental
education, and poverty reduction. For more information or to support the
American Forests Global ReLeaf Challenge, please contact ATP at (617)
926-8733 or visit the web site www.armeniatree.org.
From: A. Papazian