The story begins at the Akrich Nursery in the Al Haouz Province of Morocco’s Marrakech-Safi Region, on land lent in-kind by the Moroccan Jewish community. Abderrahim, the nursery manager and the caretaker of the cemetery after his father and grandfather, took us back to the year 2012 when he first met Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir, Founder and President of the High Atlas Foundation (HAF).

Dr. Yossef suggested to Abderrahim to use this empty land in Akrich, which was nearing a 700-year-old tomb of Rabbi Raphael Hacohen and a Jewish cemetery, for a fruit tree nursery. Abderrahim stated, "At first, both myself and the villagers did not fully trust the idea, especially with the scarcity of water. People in the village are in need of clean drinking water.” Abderrahim continued; “ But Dr. Yossef had a different vision, one that we all lacked back then. To this day, I still remember the words. He said to me, 'First, we establish the nursery, and this nursery to serve the entire region will bring all the benefits you need, and everything else will follow.'"

Today, the Akrich Nursery stands as a thriving example of community collaboration and environmental sustainability. What began as a part of the House of Life pilot program in 2014 has since evolved into a well-equipped, community-managed space that has revitalized the surrounding area. In an effort to promote tree planting and environmental stewardship, House of Life provides free land loans for the establishment of organic fruit tree and medicinal plant nurseries, benefiting farming communities of Morocco. Brimming with tree saplings and full of life, Akrich nursery now serves as a vital source of trees and resources for the entire village.

The nursery features solar panels, a water well, and greenhouses, creating a vibrant ecosystem. These efforts, supported by the National Federation of Electricity, Electronics, and Renewable Energies (FENELEC) in Morocco, have played a key role in the nursery's success, including the installation of a solar-powered water pumping system. The ongoing and continuous support of the Moroccan Jewish Community of the Marrakech-Safi Region has also been instrumental in the nursery’s development.

To encourage local farmers to participate in tree planting, HAF provided trees to farmers without cost, as well as essential water infrastructure. They dug a 120-meter well for irrigation, built a water basin with pipes, and installed solar panels to pump water from the well. Thanks to these efforts, farmers have successfully planted over 23,000 trees, including olive, fig, pomegranate, and other forest species. This achievement would not have been possible without the support of HAF’s partners, including the USAID Farmer-to-Farmer program, as well as Berge Bulk Blue Solutions (BBBS), Reforest Australia Organization, who supported the planting efforts and provided essential funding for the water infrastructure.

The Akrich Nursery now hosts multiple types of trees, including olive, pomegranate, carob, fig, herbs, argan and forest trees. These trees are planted by local farmers, cooperatives, and schools. This year, Akrich Nursery is preparing to plant 120,000 olive trees, 6,000 pomegranates, 6,000 carob trees, 3,000 forest trees, and 3,000 trees of other varieties. The vision is to plant one million trees. The goal is for this nursery to become the source for all other HAF nurseries. Currently, new cuttings and seeds are purchased, but in the future, the nursery will be self-sufficient, meaning the trees planted at Akrich will provide the cuttings and seeds for future plantings.

Abderrahim then shared the steps of tree planting in the nursery. First, seeds and cuttings are purchased, then planted in containers and preserved inside greenhouses to maintain the perfect humidity for growth. The controlled environment helps the seeds sprout and grow into young plants (seedlings) before they are transferred to the ground. These greenhouses also protect them from the sun. The next crucial step is proper irrigation. The seedlings are watered using a spray, three to four times per day.

After observing the seedling process with Abderrahim, we were shown how saplings are transferred from trays into bags. Positively, HAF now works with the "Zarbiat Achbarou" women’s cooperative in Akrich to produce eco-friendly bags, replacing plastic bags. Abderrahim demonstrated how the bags are filled with soil and then the saplings are placed inside. The saplings stay in the nursery for around one year before being distributed for planting. Once the saplings are ready to be planted in the ground, farmers from the neighboring villages come to collect the trees for their lands.

We then visited the village of Talat-n-Mimoun, where we met Abdeljalil Ait Ali, HAF's tree monitoring officer, along with farmers from the Talat N'Mimoun Association, with whom HAF has planted the trees.

HAF has been working with these farmers since 2019, providing them with free trees and installing an irrigation system that includes a well, pipes, solar panels, and a water basin. The farmers shared how the support from HAF has brought life back to their lands.

Before HAF’s intervention, the farmers were discouraged from planting trees due to ongoing water scarcity. Many of them even sold their land to tourism investors. Now with the new drip irrigation system and the well installed by HAF, the farmers now have the resources to plant trees and take care of their land, transforming their once-dry fields into thriving, productive farms.

We visited the farm of Mr. Al Hocein, a member of the Association, who showed us the trees he had planted with HAF. He and his brother, Mr. Abderrazzaq, care for the land and the trees, with some of the trees already bearing fruit. We joined Al Hocein to plant more trees. Abdeljalil explained the proper planting technique, beginning with digging a hole that is at least 60 centimeters by 60 centimeters (cm). This gives the roots sufficient space to grow. Once the tree is placed in the hole, the soil is packed around it, and any remaining plant debris is added to keep the soil healthy and prevent water from washing it away.

After planting the olive tree, we watered it using the drip irrigation system. This system, installed by HAF, delivers water to multiple trees at once and wastes far less water than traditional methods. It’s a huge improvement for the farmers, who used to irrigate with pipes that took a long time and used too much water.

Al Hocein showed us how the trees he planted with HAF three years ago are now growing strong and bearing fruit. It was clear how much the irrigation system and HAF’s support had helped them.

We also met another farmer, Mr. Abderrahman Ahya, who had abandoned his land because of the drought. However, after HAF installed the irrigation system, he returned to his land and planted trees. “Before, there was nothing to do here,” he told us. “But after the irrigation system, I planted trees. Now, I come back regularly to care for them. Without HAF’s help, I wouldn’t have planted them, and neither would many other farmers. Now, the trees are giving us fruit.”

The impact of HAF’s work is clear in these villages. What started as an idea in Akrich has grown into a thriving community effort, changing the lives of local farmers and transforming barren land into fertile, productive fields. The tree planting efforts don’t stop here; HAF is committed to improving the long-term sustainability of this project.

Great efforts are being made to implement more irrigation systems to ensure these communities continue to thrive and that the land remains productive for years to come. The vision is to empower the people, providing them with the tools and resources they need to care for their land and build a brighter future. These achievements will be made possible through the support of HAF’s partners. Every contribution brings us one step closer to transforming these lands into thriving, productive, ensuring a sustainable future for local communities .