When weather forced a change of plans on January 19th, the High Atlas Foundation team didn’t waste a moment. What was originally meant to be a full day spent outdoors for our 13th annual tree planting event transformed into something just as powerful: two hours of connection, storytelling, and celebration broadcast live from our office.

Despite unfortunate /weather conditions, the office was lively with energy that morning. Staff and volunteers all gathered together in anticipation in a room full of laughter and high spirits as we prepared for the day ahead. We may have had to scale back our outdoor planting efforts, but HAF’s commitment to communities across Morocco remained strong.

Going Live: Connecting Across Morocco

President Yossef Ben-Meir took to Facebook Live for an extended two-hour broadcast, bringing viewers inside HAF’s work, mission, and office environment. From the office, he interviewed staff members, each sharing their experiences and perspectives on the Foundation’s programs and the communities we serve. The atmosphere was warm and animated, serving as a clear testament to the passion behind every team member at HAF.

Tree Planting Persists: Live from the Field

Even as weather challenged our plans in different regions around the country, tree planting still took place, and our Facebook Live audience got to witness it in real time.

Throughout the broadcast, guests joined remotely from various planting sites, proving that HAF’s work spans communities in Morocco. One monitoring officer, Aadel, checked in with students from School Sidi Ahmed Ergaibi in Al Kotb Al Hadari village of Es-Smara, where planting was underway in partnership with Association Ghayt. Later on, in Oujda, another planting event brought together the Renaissance Complex for Social, Sports, and Cultural Activities, School Isly, students from the legal clinic, and the Water and Forestry Directorate to plant trees, a compelling example of multi-sector collaboration in action.

These live connections turned what could have been a setback into a true showcase of resilience and community partnership. While some of us waited in the office, ready to plant at a local orphanage and school in Marrakech, others were already out there, hands in soil, planting seedlings with future generations.

Takeaways: More than Trees

January 19th reminded us that HAF’s annual tree planting day is about more than the number of saplings that go into the ground. It is about the people who show up, in person or virtually, rain or shine. It is about the partnerships that strengthen our communities and allow HAF to have the impact it does. And it is about adapting, persisting, and finding new ways to connect when circumstances demand it.

For me, as I stood behind the camera facilitating the Facebook Live and watching my colleagues’ faces light up as they discussed the work they are so passionate about, I was reminded that planting trees and planting ideas can be one and the same, especially for youth who can one day reap the benefits of trees planting today.