A thank you from Armenia Tree Project..and stay tuned

Special thanks to everyone that contributed and participated in the beta version of our Building Bridges environmental education blog!! We're moving the site over to a new Building Bridges website, so stay tuned via:

http://www.armeniatree.org/buildingbridges

Trees in Your Backyard: Yerevan, Armenia

In preparation for the Cambridge Science Festival on April 20, the Cambridge Yerevan Sister City Association (CYSCA) and Armenia Tree Project (ATP) asked schoolchildren from Yerevan a series of questions about trees. A selection of their answers is posted below and will be followed by similar replies from students in Cambridge in the coming weeks.



Michael (age 10)

Do you have a favorite tree? Poplar, mulberry
Have you ever planted a tree? Yes
Are trees important in your city? Trees are important because they produce oxygen
Question for kids in Cambridge: What can you do to make the city green?

Eva (age 11)

Have you ever planted a tree? Yes, planted and watered them
Are trees important in your city? Trees are important because they breathe out oxygen
Question for kids in Cambridge: Why is the environment important for you?

Aida (age 11)

Do you have a favorite tree? Lilac
Have you ever planted a tree? Yes
Are trees important in your city? Trees are important because they give us fruit and oxygen

Lusine (age 10)

Have you ever planted a tree? Yes
Do you wish you had more trees near your house? I would love to have more trees and every person should plant at least one tree
Are trees important in your city? Trees are important because they produce oxygen for us

Levon (age 10)

Do you have a favorite tree? Fir
Have you ever planted a tree? Yes
Are trees important in your city? Trees are important because they produce oxygen
Question for kids in Cambridge: Do you want to have many trees in your city?

Janet (age 10)

Have you ever planted a tree? Yes, I have planted and watered a tree
Are trees important in your city? Yes, they give us air to breathe
Question for kids in Cambridge: What do you do for your city?

Mane (age 10)

Do you have a favorite tree? In front of our house
Have you ever planted a tree? No, but I would love to
Are trees important in your city? Yes, trees give us oxygen, fruit and many other good things
Question for kids in Cambridge: How many trees have you planted?

Sarah (age 10)

Do you have a favorite tree near where you live? Yes, I have 5 trees
Have you ever planted a tree, watered it and watched it grow? Yes
Do you wish you had more trees near where you live? I would love to have
Are trees important in your city? Yes, trees are important for our oxygen/air

Irina (age 10)

Do you have a favorite tree near where you live? In front of our house
Have you ever planted a tree? Yes
Do you wish you had more trees near where you live? I would love to have
Question for kids in Cambridge: Do you have many trees where you live?

Mariam (age 10)

Do you have a favorite tree near where you live? In our yard
Have you ever planted a tree? Yes
Do you wish you had more trees near where you live? I would love to have
Are trees important in your city? Yes, trees are important because they produce oxygen for us
Question for kids in Cambridge: Do you take care of the trees?

Samvel (age 9)

Do you have a favorite tree near where you live? Near our house
Have you ever planted a tree? Yes
Do you wish you had more trees near where you live? I would love to have
Are trees important in your city? Trees are important because they produce oxygen

Ararat Charter School Goes Green with TreePeople & Armenia Tree Project

On Saturday, Dec. 10, students and families from the Ararat Charter School joined forces withTreePeople and Armenia Tree Project to “green” the ACS campus. The event was the beginning of the Ararat Charter School’s partnership in ATP’s Building Bridges environmental education program.

Students getting ready to plant with their first grade teacher

Friends, families, students, and staff assembled at 9 am to assist with the planting of 23 trees on the ACS2-Erwin campus. After a brief training conducted by Tree People and a gathering of all individuals hand in hand, everyone recited: “People need trees, trees need people.”

Families then quickly scurried to get their gloves, shovels, and water buckets. The ground was quite hard but their determination was stronger and boys, girls, moms, dads, grandmas, and grandpas used their might to break through the soil in order to plant a tree. “It was the best feeling planting a tree,” stated one student. “I loved playing with the dirt!” a first grader exclaimed.

The adults were also gaining satisfaction from this activity, knowing that planting trees benefits the environment and beautifies their campus, and more importantly stresses to their children the importance of taking care of the environment so that it can take care of them.

Click here to read the rest of the story on Asbarez.com about why the Ararat Charter School decided to partner with ATP. If you’re interested in participating in ATP’s Building Bridges program in 2012, contact Sarah Hayes at sarah@armeniatree.org.