We are thankful to our partners in 2024; Reforest aims to plant 500,000 trees with the High Atlas Foundation.

By Mohamed El Khabbaz, HAF Tree Monitoring Officer

On January 15th, the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) celebrated National Tree Planting Day. This day serves to acknowledge the importance of afforestation and the Foundation’s role in promoting sustainable development. To commemorate Tree Planting Day, HAF staff and volunteers conducted practical field workshops about afforestation in schools, with cooperative members and farmers.

We planted trees in Sakia El Hamra Cooperative School, located in Ait Oulal of the Meknes province. After coordinating with the director of the school and consulting parents and guardians, we organized the event under the slogan: “Every student has a tree”.

First, we delivered olive, carob, and fig saplings to the school. Next, we dug a set of holes together with the students and conducted a workshop on the importance of afforestation, its benefits, and its role in preserving and ensuring environmental balance and sustainability.

The students’ songs and the national anthem marked the commencement of the planting process. The planted trees were then watered, and each tree was named after the student who helped plant it.

This activity coincided with the Foundation’s celebration of National Amazigh Day, recognizing and preserving heritage and cultural identity.

Trees are a crucial source of life for the ecosystem, contributing to air quality, soil health, water retention, and biodiversity. Distributing fruit trees to schools in Morocco is an important initiative through which HAF aims to preserve the environment and promote the culture of planting among younger generations.