Tree planting campaign in the Kaspi Municipality.

On 22nd October 2021, Georgian Society of Nature Explorers “Orchis” (GSNE “Orchis”) (represented by the Chair Ms. Mariam Kimeridze) and Kaspi Municipality City Hall (represented by the Mayor of Kaspi Mr. Vakhtang Maisuradze) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in Kaspi Municipality City Hall to demonstrate the willingness to strengthen their friendship and strategic partnership, and further develop their collaboration in the environmental protection area. This meeting was also attended by the experts of GSNE “Orchis” Mrs. Nona Khelaia and Mr. David Chelidze, and Chief Public Relations Specialist of Kaspi Municipality City Hall Mrs. Dali Korkomashvili. The Memorandum was made in the frames of Keep Georgia Tidy Protect, which is being implemented through financial support of the Government of Sweden.

In addition to this, gardening campaigns were organized in Kaspi City and Kaspi Municipality on the same day, i.e. 22nd October (International Tree Planting Day), for which GSNE “Orchis” purchased 105 seedlings of Caucasian pine, 15 seedlings of common walnut, 15 seedlings of Georgian almond and 5 seedlings of Himalayan cedar from Georgian Seedlings Ltd.

140 seedlings of the mentioned species were planted at different locations in Kaspi Municipality, specifically in: the yards of the City Hall, kindergartens #4 & #1 and music school as well as squares of Rustaveli and Saakadze streets in Kaspi City; the yards of the kindergarten and library in Metekhi Village; the squares in the villages of Teliani, Doesi and Lamiskana; Giorgi Shatberashvili Square in Kavtiskhevi Village; and the yards of the administration office and school of Tsinarekhi Village.

The Mayor of Kaspi Mr. Vakhtang Maisuradze, a representative of the Public Relations Service Mrs. Dali Korkomashvili, other representatives of the Municipality City Hall, as well as directors, teachers and students of the schools and pre-school institutions, and the population of Kaspi Municipality villages including IDPs actively participated together with the GSNE “Orchis” in the tree planting campaigns organized in Kaspi Municipality.

The gardening campaigns were arranged in full compliance with the rules and restrictions established by the Government of Georgia due to the pandemic situation, including the maintenance of social distancing and other legal limitations.

In overall, the landscape gardening campaigns as well as activities carried out to restore vegetation, forest and habitats in the frames of the Keep Georgia Tidy Project facilitate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs cover wide range of issues and address crosscutting components of the sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. In this context, the measures for the protection, conservation, prevention of degradation and restoration of biodiversity are essential components of the sustainable development and accomplishment of the SDGs, which could be mainly achieved through the maintenance of multiple and key ecosystem services offered by the biodiversity.

Generally, biorestoration and tree planting measures are among the most effective instruments for climate change mitigation. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, one of the major climate change contributors, and thus reduce its concentration in the atmosphere and respectively the level of climate change. That’s why global environment protection society (and not only they) pay particular attention to forest restoration in the context of combating climate change, and that’s why the tree planting and reforestation / afforestation activates can bring particular benefits.

Keep Georgia Tidy Project is being implemented by Georgian Society of Nature Explorers “Orchis”, through funding of the Government of Sweden, with support of Georgian Ministries of Environmental Protection & Agriculture, Regional Development & Infrastructure, Economy & Sustainable Development, Education & Science, and Culture & Sport, and in cooperation with the Solid Waste Management Company of Georgia and Environmental Information & Education Centre.