Ohanyan College Students Investigating Dilijan Forest in Armenia's Tavoush Region

This film is about our visit to the Tavoush region in northern Armenia. Our school-teachers helped us to recognize the smallest soil creatures of the woods and we collected some of them. Besides, we understood the structure of the forest and found out that there are at least three levels of plants growing there. We were surprised to learn that there are very easy methods to measure the age and height of a tree.

Our teachers from Ohanyan College helped us explore the biodiversity of the forest and to value it as a whole ecosystem! It was a happy day and a great chance to be closer to Nature and to understand the Forest as a live organism with hundreds of habitats living together in peace and harmony. We are looking forward to having a joint trip to Dilijan Forest with our American friends in coming future as part of ATP's Building Bridges program :-)

AGBU/Chicago Armenian School reports on "Trees All Around Us"

This year, AGBU/Chicago students continued their interaction with the Ohanyan School in Yerevan through our collaboration with the Armenia Tree Project. The exchange combines cultural awareness of how our childrens' peers in Armenia live with education on environmental issues that affect youth around the world. Toward these goals, we created a video project titled "TREES ALL AROUND US."

The short film we produced gave us the opportunity to describe local trees,
what's important about them, and what natural or manmade hazards these trees face.

We look forward to exchanging films, creating service projects, comparing notes on environmental concerns, and forming friendships that strengthen the bonds of our common heritage.

Our film was created during a field trip to the world-renowned Chicago Botanic Garden on October 15. The tour of the Garden, a 156-hectare property with more than 20 planted spaces including an English walled garden and a Japanese garden on three separate islands, was guided by Gary Topalian, a landscape architect with the highly regarded firm of Scott Byron. After visiting a oakland forest preserve and the Garden's "Trees of Illinois" collection, students enjoyed touring some of the garden areas and the Garden's very popular model railway exhibit.

Hi, I'm Jacey!

"Did you like our video?  I was in it!   Your presentation was really good. I wish we had an orchard behind our school!  I'm wondering, why do you like ash trees so much?"








Hi, I'm Talya!

Did you like our video? I was in it too!  I liked your presentation.  I also like how you carved ATP in the bushes!

Hi, I'm Anto--that's Tony in English

 What did you think about our video? I loved yours!

Hi, my name is Vartkes!

I was in our video too!  I liked learning about your trees.

Yerevan's Ohanyan School reports on "Trees All Around Us"

Trees All Around Us

Text by Manya Gevorgyan

The seventh grade students from Yerevan’s Ohanyan School created this presentation about their trip to ATP’s nursery in Karin Village, where they learned about trees and Armenia’s environment.

The “Trees All Around Us” presentation was uploaded to this blog as part of ATP’s Building Bridges program launched in 2010 to connect Armenian students with their environmental heritage. This site was created so students and teachers in Armenia and the Diaspora can share resources like this and collaborate.

The children from the Ohanyan School had a chance to see the whole process of growing trees, from seed to an adult tree at the Karin Nursery. “It was amazing to see so many tree species like ash, poplar, maple, apricot, peach, quince, and pomegranate trees covered with juicy fruits,” one of the students exclaimed!

After a tour, the young “tree specialists” had a walk in their school backyard and did several measurements on tree height, age, and root diameter, and tried to identify the different types of trees.

The researchers found out that they have 10 apricot (the oldest one was about 20 years old), 5 plum, and 10 sweet cherry trees in their schoolyard. There were also many decorative trees and shrubs in the school garden, but no ash. Since the children liked ash very much, ATP promised to present an ash seedling to the group for planting this fall at the school!

Building Bridges newsletter connects diaspora Armenian students with their environmental heritage

Armenia Tree Project has released the second edition of its Building Bridges newsletter for children ages 6-12. The United Nations has declared 2011 as International Year of Forests, so this issue has a special focus on trees.

ATP's new Ranger Jeff character is teaching

kids about Armenia's natural heritage

It was created as part of ATP's innovative Building Bridges program to connect diasporan students with their environmental heritage. The newsletter was designed by the creators of the Gakavig children’s publication.

It includes fun activities about trees and wildlife, information about ATP's mission, and a kids news page that shows how students have met peers and gotten involved with this program in Armenia and in the diaspora.

The activity is guided by Ranger Jeff, a unique character that shares the enthusiasm and likeness of the head of the organization. The newsletter is being distributed to families and schools across North America and elsewhere, and is available in PDF format here.

For more information or to get involved with ATP's Building Bridges program, contact Sarah Hayes at (617) 926-TREE.

New edition of Natural Inquirer science education magazine focuses on the world's forests

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the United States Forest Service have released the 15th issue of the Natural Inquirer, an integrated science education magazine for students aged 11-14.

The issue is based on the results of the 2010 Global Forest Resources Assessment. The 68-page magazine is interactive and includes lessons plans for teachers. It covers topics such as types of forests, biodiversity, the role of forests in society, climate change, and forest management.

This special World's Forests Edition of the Natural Inquirer is available by clicking here.

Building Bridges sighting in Saint Petersburg...

Angelika Airapetyan, winner of the Saint Petersburg Chess Championship, is pictured here with a copy of ATP’s Building Bridges environmental education newsletter. Angelika was presented with an ATP Tree Planting Certificate by Astghik Nalbandyan at a benefit event hosted by Hamlet and Svetlana Airapetyan at Kuznechny Dvor in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

ATP presents environmental education programs at Green Cross conference in Moscow

Environmental Education Program Assistant Manya Gevorgyan (at podium) represented Armenia Tree Project at the conference on "Environmental Education for Sustainable Development" in Moscow. The event was hosted by Green Cross International on June 29-30, 2011.

Manya presented ATP's tree planting, environmental education, and sustainable development programs to an audience of 60 participants from Russia, Ukraine, Tatarstan, Kazakhstan, and Armenia. Manya's slides are available here in Russian.

Ari Guiragos Minassian Armenian School Visit to Karin jointly with School # 190

On 27th of June a group of 7 students from Ari Guiragos Minassian Armenian School of Santa Ana, Orange County visited Armenia Tree Project (ATP) Ohanian Environmental Education Center in Karin accompanied by their parents and Armenian language teacher, Ani Geloian. Here in Karin they met the students of the newly established eco-club of School #190 in Yerevan who were led by their Biology teacher Tatevik Melkumyan. Within the framework of ATP’s “Building Bridges” Project the students played “get-to-know-each-other” games, had a discussion on environment and trees and went on a wonderful tour in ATP Nursery. Together they planted seeds each of them with a large wish to grow their own tree in Armenia. At the end they all enjoyed the nice open-air lunch.

Minassian School group and the students from School # 190 in Yerevan

Ani Geloian - the head of the Minassian School Group

Children planting seeds together.

Nursery Program Manager Samvel Ghandilyan explaining the students how to plant seeds.

St. Stephen's School visit to Ohanian Environmental Education Center in Karin

On 27^th of May 12 students from St. Stephen’s Armenian School in Watertown, MA visited Armenia Tree Project (ATP) Ohanian Environmental Education Center in Karin accompanied by their teacher Ardemis Megerdchian as well as by 10 students from Anania Shirakatsi School in Yerevan along with their teacher Hasmik Petrosyan. Within the framework of ATP’s “Building Bridges” Project the children took part in several environmental activities that aimed to built closer connections between the US-Armenian children from St. Stephen’s School and the Armenian schoolchildren from Anania Shirakatsi School. The children altogether also planted seeds and toured the nursery led by ATP nursery specialists.

ATP activities depicted on the poster.

Drawing "Building Bridges" the way we see it.

The whole group together.

Taking a walk in ATP greenhouse in Karin Nursery.

Tigran Palazyan showing us around ATP Nursery in Karin.

Here we are planting seeds.

Together we are "building a bridge."

ATP Presents Building Bridges Environmental Education Program at Ari Guiragos Minassian Armenian School

Earlier this month, Southern California representatives of Armenia Tree Project were hosted by the Ari Guiragos Minassian Armenian School in Santa Ana.

Anahit Gharibyan and Hermine Mahmouzian were greeted by Principal Kohar Zaher and Armenian teacher Ani Geloian, along with students from the 5th and 6th grade classes. The school recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and the visit was part of ATP's Building Bridges education program to connect diasporan students with their environmental heritage.

Anahit Gharibyan--new to California but a long-time ATP employee in Yerevan--spoke with the students about the reasons behind the founding of ATP in 1994 and some of the early experiences of the organization, as well as some of the environmental challenges facing Armenia today. Each student was presented with a copy of ATP's colorful Building Bridges newsletter for children.

"The Minassian School students were very knowledgeable about Armenia and quite enthusiastic in their questions and answers about ATP and environmental issues," noted Gharibyan after the school assembly.

The 6th grade class will be traveling to Armenia in June and will be met by ATP staff in order to plant tree seedlings and spend time meeting peers of the same age from a local school.

Slideshow: Five Years of ATP's Environmental Education Program

By Alla Berberyan

Environmental education is one of ATP’s core programs to prepare the nation’s youth to become the next generation of environmental stewards. Every year, ATP hosts hundreds of children and youth at its Michael and Virginia Ohanian Environmental Education Center at Karin Nursery--often along with their parents and teachers--to take part in interactive environmental lessons and hands-on activities.

During their visits, guests take an educational tour accompanied by nursery specialists who give them an interesting and complete explanation of each and every tree and plant. Children often give environmental performances in Karin and present the environmental activities that they conduct in their schools.

ATP’s education program integrates environmental themes and practical activities throughout the schools in all of Armenia’s regions, thus raising the environmental consciousness and responsibility of the population. Already more than 1,000 teachers have been trained to use ATP’s Plant an Idea, Plant a Tree manual in their classroom.

Children from Ohanyan School in Yerevan organized a clean-up activity in their school neighborhood

Children from Ohanyan School cleaning their school neighborhood.

Hovnanian School in New Jersey and School #168 in Yerevan coming together to plant trees

On May 2 students from Hovnanian School in New Jersey came together with students from School #168 in Yerevan within the framework of ATP’s Building Bridges Project and planted trees around the area of School #168. At the beginning of the event the students introduced themselves, played name games, and learned about each other.

This was followed by a short training by Arthur Harutunyan (ATP head monitor) about the techniques of planting trees. At the end of the event, the students from School #168 showed the Hovnanian students around their school area and spent some time together. We hope that the communication between students will continue through this ATP blog.

Students from School #168 showing

Hovnanian students around their school area

Planting trees together

Students getting to know each other

Hovnanian & AGBU Schools Host Building Bridges Environmental Education Program

Environmental Education Program Manager Alla Berberyan visited the U.S. in April as part of ATP’s Building Bridges program to connect students with their environmental heritage.

Alla was hosted by the Hovnanian School in New Milford, New Jersey on April 18, where she explained ATP’s programs and described Armenia’s natural heritage and some of its environmental challenges. The discussion was attended by students from the seventh and eighth grade classes.


The AGBU Alex and Marie Manoogian School in Southfield, Michigan hosted Alla on April 20 for a similar presentation for the fourth and fifth grade classes. The students listened intently and performed extremely well on Alla’s quiz at the end of the presentation.

Both schools welcomed Alla with great enthusiasm during the week of Earth Day when other environmental programs were happening and promised to visit ATP during their class trips to Armenia.