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Mission Green:
SAVE
LEBANON’s
Forests
IC NEWSLETTER -
SUMMER 2010
4
The Ain Aar administration did not have to
think twice when Ain Aar’s parents commit-
tee approached them earlier this year with the
idea of launching a “Mission Green” project –
aimed at getting students involved in reforest-
ing parts of the country.
“I was very happy to know that the parent’s
committee is thinking in the same direction
as us as a school” said Diana Abu Lebdeh Ain
Aar’s Upper Elementary and Middle School di-
rector. “Having the support of parents is cru-
cial in any big project that the school has to
undertake. And our aim is always to produce
role model citizens.” .
The idea was that while younger students de-
velop a nursery at school, older ones go out
and plant the shoots.
“The ultimate goal is to cre-
ate awareness and sensitize
the students on the impor-
tance of the trees for the
environment,” said Ghada
Abela, the head of the IC Ain
Aar Parents Committee. “It’s
a wake up call for the
Lebanese
commu-
nity in general and
for students in par-
ticular.”
And so began the
fundraising efforts.
By March, the com-
mittee raised $2500
– enough to cover
the cost of plant-
ing and maintain-
ing 250 trees.
It was a good beginning. On a cold March
morning, students were driven to Cornet Che-
hwan and Mtayleb, not too far away from Ain
Aar.
After a brief planting lesson, the work began.
Despite the cold and drizzle, students dug,
mulched and planted. Each tree was lovingly
labeled with “IC Ain Aar”, class level and aca-
demic year.
For many students, it was a new experience.
“I like it,” said Ayman Akl, 14. “I usually help my
uncle water some trees and plants at home.
But I would like to plant myself some trees.”
According to the Association for Forests, De-
velopment and Conservation (AFDC), about
1,500 hectares of woodland are burned in
Lebanon every year. In 2007
alone, more than 4,000
hectares of forests were lost
in the worst fires to hit Leba-
non for decades. Last sum-
mer, fires destroyed over
15 million square meters of
forests.
With the ongoing rise of
temperatures, caused by cli-
mate change, forest soils are
drying, humidity is decreas-
ing and trees becoming
drier. Forest fires are start-
ing earlier and have become
more brutal.
Thirty– five percent of Leba-
non was covered with trees
in 1965. Today, only 13% of