ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
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PRESS RELEASE
April 23, 2010

Armenia Tree Project Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Earth Day

— Highlights Include the Planting of 200 Trees in Nor Nork Community

YEREVAN, Armenia–As an official partner of the Earth Day Network, Armenia
Tree Project (ATP) joined with the Young Biologists Association NGO and
Aarhus Ecological Information Center to organize a series of events to
celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

One of the most noteworthy events was a public tree planting on April 16 at
St. Sarkis Church in the Nor Nork community of Yerevan. Two hundred tree
seedlings were provided by ATP with the support of the Earth Day Network.

After a brief training on planting techniques by ATP staff, the trees were
planted by local residents and representatives of organizations including
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the British
Council, the Young Biologists Association, and the Yerevan State University
Student Scientific Society. Students from the local Quantum College also
participated along with a group of volunteers from the Fulbright Scholar
Program.

One of the guests of honor for the event was British Ambassador to Armenia
Charles Lonsdale, who joined participants to plant his own tree for Earth
Day. In his remarks, Ambassador Lonsdale expressed his appreciation to the
event sponsors for organizing this important environmental initiative.

Numerous Armenian celebrities also joined the event including Ashot
Ghazaryan, Arsen Grigoryan, Vardan Badalyan, Lala Mnacakanyan, and DJ
Vakcina, who all planted trees together with the other participants.

"Armenia Tree Project was honored to contribute to the worldwide celebration
of Earth Day once again this year with a tree planting program in the Nor
Nork community," stated Executive Director Jeff Masarjian. "ATP is
especially pleased that so many people in Armenia and around the world are
committed to the goal of planting trees in urban and rural areas."

The Earth Day celebrations in Armenia began with a petition campaign
organized by young volunteers to promote a "green lifestyle" in Armenia.
More than 3,600 people signed the petition which will be presented to the
government with suggestions to encourage private sector organizations to
support a "green lifestyle." The response to the petition was announced at a
seminar titled "How to Live Green and Stop Climate Change." The leaders of
several environmental organizations reported on climate change and its
impacts on the environment during the event.

Another panel discussion titled "The Time to Speak Up" was held at the Best
Western Congress Hotel, where climate scientists and environmentalists made
presentations on climate change and biodiversity issues in Armenia. The aim
of the discussion was raising awareness of climate change among the youth.

The final event held on Earth Day was a painting competition titled "Live
Green" at the Best Western Congress Hotel. Participants were children of
ages 7-13, who were awarded prizes from the Armenian Society for the
Protection of Birds, LOLO children’s magazine, and Armenia Tree Project.
Staff from ATP’s Environmental Education Program organized a recital
competition for children who didn’t participate in the painting contest.

Eleven-year old Alik Hambardzumyan won first prize in the competition for
his painting "Barn Swallow." After the competition, a group of children from
the Yerevan Municipal Youth Center presented a concert which was followed by
performances about ecological topics by children from Yerevan School No. 93.

"We extend our thanks to the British Ambassador and to other organizations
that joined our partnership including the Earth Day Network, Young
Biologists Association, and Aarhus Ecological Information Center," added
Masarjian. "Although our work is ongoing, we were glad to work with so many
people on this day to demonstrate our commitment to the environment, be a
part of global Earth Day celebrations, and contribute to the actions taking
place all over the world to stop climate change."

Since 1994, Armenia Tree Project has planted and restored more than
3,500,000 trees at over 800 sites around the country and created hundreds of
jobs for impoverished Armenians in tree-regeneration programs. The
organization’s three tiered initiatives are tree planting, community
development, and environmental education. For additional information and to
support ATP’s mission, visit the web site