This Egyptian Campaign Wants to Take You Tree Planting and Here's How You Can Join

Trees, the ones that aren’t deformed and painted over, are so sparse in Cairo that we actually feel the need to photograph them whenever we see one just to document the fact. And with all the polluted air we inhale on a daily basis, we NEED more trees in this city. The 1001 Tree Project aims to plant not one, not two, but (you guessed it) 1001 trees.

Climate change is continuing to affect the planet, so much so that 2016 is believed to be the warmest year in recorded history. And in an effort to raise awareness, the United Nations launched the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign in 2006. The first five years of the campaign saw 12,585,293,312 trees planted. Since then, The 1001 Tree Project has taken inspiration from the campaign's success.

Launched in 2011, the objective of the project is to cultivate rare tree species, and even species that don’t exist in Egypt. The first phase resulted in the planting of 328 trees. The project is now launching its third phase in collaboration with the Oasis Community Centre; Hand Over, an independent enterprise providing affordable housing for underprivileged communities; and Shagrha, an initiative aiming to plant trees in all of Egypt's governorates. This phase will include a number of different tree types such as olive, lemon, and mahogany. And in order to tackle the effects of climate change, the tree species aren’t chosen at random. These specific species were chosen due to their fast growth rate and their compatibility with Egypt’s climate.

The launch event is scheduled for Friday, April 28th at the Oasis Community Centre in 6th of October. The event is open to volunteers with a fee of LE 150. The fee includes transportation, lunch, trees, and a workshop.

Visit the 1001 Tree Project Facebook page for more.