by Larbi Didouqen The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) makes the third Monday of January a national meeting point for planting trees and the official opening of the tree crop campaign. During this commemorative day, all HAF staff in collaboration with partners and volunteers dedicate themselves to planting trees in school spaces, agricultural and forestry grounds,

Ellen Hernandez HAF volunteer writer The HAF Family Literacy team plants trees with an artisanal women’s cooperative in Rhamna province on the organization’s Annual Tree Planting Day, January 16, 2023. Photo: High Atlas Foundation Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?” – Dr. M. L. King, Jr. From Al

النسخة العربية Version française Press Release MEDIA CONTACT: Safae Ben Karroum Program Coordinator, Tree Planting Tel. +212 (0) 62 550 4527 safaebenkarroum@highatlasfoundation.org High Atlas Foundation Plants Thousands of Trees with Moroccan Communities for Annual Tree Planting Day on January 16 Marrakech, Morocco – The High Atlas Foundation (HAF), a non-profit organization based in Marrakech and

By Rachel Bartkowski, HAF intern January 16th marked HAF’s Annual Tree Planting Day, with thousands of trees being planted in a variety of different sites in Moroccan communities. As a new volunteer at HAF, such a hands-on day in the field made for a very exciting first day. It was an honor to be able

French Version  El Hassane Ahmatay, HAF Volunteer Celebrated on December 11th each year, International Mountain Day is an opportunity to highlight the riches and vulnerabilities of high altitude territories, as well as the role of women in the mountains for sustainable development. Morocco, which has major mountain ranges that have shaped its history and identity, is

English Version Par: El Hassane Ahmatay Le 11 décembre de chaque année, le monde entier célèbre la Journée internationale de la Montagne, qui est toujours une occasion pour mettre en relief les richesses et les vulnérabilités des territoires en haute altitude, ainsi que le rôle de la femme montagnarde pour le développement durable. Notre pays,

By Aleksander Esmann, HAF intern “Restoring Degraded Forests and Landscapes in Drylands” was the fifth webinar in a series of webinars on “Landscape Restoration in the Arab Region,” organized by FAO (Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations). Action Against Desertification  After the general introduction, the first topic discussed was desertification and the most

By Aleksander Esmann “Forest-based Landscape Management: The Lebanese Context” was the sixth webinar in a series of webinars on “Landscape Restoration in the Arab Region”, organized by FAO (Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations) in collaboration with the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI). The first topics discussed were their general strategy and the community-based

By Abdelilah Ghmiza, Tree Monitoring Officer (YCC) In coordination with the Al Mishaal and Rifak association, the High Atlas Foundation distributed around 2140 almond, pomegranate, olive, and fig trees in the province Fes-Meknes, benefitting more than 80 farmers from the region. The project’s objectives are raising awareness among local community members about the importance of

حميد حنتوم/ متطوع بمؤسسة الأطلس الكبير خلال مشاركتي في غرس شجرة زيتون مع أطفال دار الطفل باب اغمات تتعدد مشاغل الناس وتتنوع أعمالهم لدرجة أن بعضهم لا يجد وقتا لنفسه أو لحياته الشخصية هذه الاعمال لا يمكن عدها أو إحصاؤها وكلها مرتبطة بالماديات، إلا أن العمل المهم الذي ينبغي أن يكون للإنسان حيز مهم منه

بقلم عبد الإله غميزة قامت مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير بتوزيع حوالي 26.000 شجرة بإقليم بولمان الذي يظم مجموعة من القرى والمدن كميسو،اوطاط الحاج، إيموزار مرموشة، والمرس، التي استفادت من مبادرة غرس مليون شجرة مثمرة من بينها اللوز، الرمان،  الزيتون التين موزعة كالاتي 14478 شجرة مثمرة موزعة بايموزار مرموشة التي تقع في منطقة جبلية يبلغ ارتفاعها 1700

by Lahssan Ben Moula HAF-YCC Monitoring trees planted in February 2022 Picture by HAF Monitoring trees with farmers is an essential step in tracking the process of planting trees and their growth in the areas benefiting from the initiative. It opens the way for us to communicate with farmers and assist their agricultural activities with

من إعداد: يوسف الطاهري، مسؤول عن توزيع، رصد وتقييم الأشجار بجهة سوس ماسة لقاء ممثل المؤسسة يوسف الطاهري لفلاحي فرية توكنيسم_ جماعة تلكجونت انطلقت عملية رصد وتقييم الأشجار المثمرة التي تنظمها مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير ككل سنة بمعظم جهات وأقاليم المغرب، تأتي هذه المرحلة بعد عملية توزيع الأشجار بدءا من  شهر نونبر الى شهر أبريل من

Cyrena Matingou UVA-HAF Intern Imerdal, July 2021. In a time of uncertainty, from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the inevitable impacts of climate change, bolstering Morocco’s ability to produce its own food is crucial. As a result, participatory methods for managing agricultural production are a vested interest for the Moroccan government and economy.

By Hanna Tuoriniemi, HAF Intern and University of Michigan Student A community olive tree nursery in the Meknes area (HAF, 2022) On July 21, HAF’s President Yossef Ben-Meir spoke at the United Nation’s Series of Webinars on Landscape Restoration in the Arab Region during their Second Webinar entitled The Target Plant Concept and Ecosystem Restoration.

By Abdelilah Ghmiza, YCC tree monitoring officer The City of Bouarfa, located in the Figuig province in the southeast of Morocco, became an important area when manganese was discovered there at the start of French colonization. The local people there, who come from the Bani Eguil tribe, began planting cumin in November and harvesting it

By Susana Fernandez Tuesday of this past week, I along with a few of my fellow interns at HAF got the opportunity to join the tree planting team and visit a location in the Al Haouz province. At this site they are planting almond, carob, and olive trees; in total 40,000 trees are going to

By Cyrena Matingou We spent two days this week in the mountains of Ourika Valley on vast plots of land. On Tuesday, we were more engaged with the tree planting team, and I genuinely felt I was helping further HAF’s mission, but Monday presented me with an invaluable learning experience. Abdeljalil Ait Ali introduced us

A lesson from the farmers and trees of the al-Haouz province By Livie Nute, HAF-UVa student volunteer Grafted Carob Sapling, Photo by Livie Nute Never before had I sat with a branch in my hand and thought about what it means to sit with a branch in my hand. I tend to address branches with

By Ryan Winegardner, UVa/HAF student-intern The community members and the HAF team unloading and organizing the tree saplings (credit: Ryan Winegardner) There is a great horror and a curse that can sometimes overwhelm me while doing development work. It was maybe at its greatest when HAF visited Al Haouz province to plant trees with the

Addie Simkin HAF-UVA Intern On Monday I made couscous. That morning, we traveled to a HAF tree planting site to learn about grafting. Abdelilah taught us that grafting is important to the carob trees he supervises because when grafting, the farmer can select for the best flavor and the trees produce fruit years faster than

By Hanna Tuoriniemi, HAF Volunteer and University of Michigan Student The High Atlas Foundation is a beacon for multistakeholderism, contributing to the sustainable development of Morocco by promoting better lives for many. One method to classify the impact that they have had can be through positive business. According to the University of Michigan’s Ross School

تهدف مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير في إطار الاجراءات المتخذة لتعزيز التنمية المستدامة وبشراكة مع مصلحة خدمة الغابات والمياه الأمريكية  إلى تبني برنامج فيلق حماية الشباب ، للقيام بدور المحفز للتنمية على مستوى القاعدة الشعبية، في المجتمعات المحلية الضعيفة في جميع أنحاء المغرب، عن طريق تيسير برامج التنمية القائمة على المشاركة، على أساس وأساليب وتقنيات مضمونة النجاح

Jackson Coldiron Our planet is becoming less green, less productive, and less habitable. Desertification and drought have played a large role in these unfortunate phenomena.  Desertification does not refer to the advancement of deserts, rather it is the process in which fertile land degrades into desert. It is a brutal, self-feeding cycle. Dryland ecosystems experience

في إطار المحافظة على الغابات والتنوع البيولوجي والوعي بأهمية أدوارها، فإن المبادرة التي أطلقتها مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير تلعب دورا مهما للمساهمة في تحقيق هذا الهدف. حيث تم تنظيم ورشات تحسيسية تطبيقية للمرة الثانية  في بعض المؤسسات التعليمية بالدار البيضاء يوم السبت 14 ماي 2022، تم خلالها توزيع 150 شجرة  لفائدة مؤسستي إبن بطوطة والفارابي بالحي

By:  Lahssan Ben Moula photo by Safae Ben Karroum / HAF Undoubtedly, the significance of this title suggests that the Jewish cemetery in Akrich, the community of Tameslouht, Al Haouz province, is not a dead and unchanging place that contains the graves of Moroccan Jews who died 700 years ago. Rather, it is the opposite,

By Aya Ladgham, HAF Volunteer Charif Idrissi Middle school students learn about tree planting. Photo credit: HAF tea Charif Idrissi Middle School students  learned about animals, ecosystems, trees, and how to protect them through a set of workshops organized by the Peace Corps in collaboration with the High Atlas Foundation. At first, Mr. Aziz Rahmouni

By Aziz Rahmouni On Sunday, May 15, HAF team conducted environmental activities with 52 students and 4 teachers from Groupe École Asâada pour L’enseignement Privé, a private school located in the city of Taza. The team began the workshop with an introductory presentation of the High Atlas Foundation, including its goals, objectives, and programs. The

By Ellen Hernandez, HAF Writer/Editor Students help tend the pomegranate plants at Akrich nursery with Abderrahim Beddah. Photo: Ellen Hernandez/HAF Friday is the Islamic sabbath, and typically it is a day for attending the weekly sermon at the mosque and spending the afternoon with family. However, Abderrahim Beddah, caretaker of the nursery and cemetery at

ينتمي الجوز إلى فصيلة الجوزيات باعتباره ثمرة  ذات قشرة خشبية سميكة تحمل بداخلها لب الجوز المميز للأكل ، يبلغ طول شجرة الجوز إلى أكتر من 10 أمتار فالشجرة ضخمة بطبيعتها توفر  دوحةً وضلالًا للناس وجوًّا غابويا منعشا. وتعتبر شجرة الجوز من النباتات المعمرة على وجه الأرض حيث يرجع بعض المؤرخين إلى اعتبار شجرة الجوز من