SAVE PARK CAMPAIGN: ENVIRONMENTALISTS FEAR LOSING TREES IN FAVORED STUDENT GATHERING SPOT
Karine Ionesyan

ArmeniaNow reporter
05.05.10

Environmentalists say they remain unconvinced even after promises
by Armenia’s chief architect that no trees will be cut down in the
area of Yerevan’s "Student Park". The concerned environmentalists
say they have the experience of other locations where trees were cut
under similar circumstances.

The park is located near one of Yerevan’s central thoroughfares,
Avobyan Street, in the vicinity of the Yerevan State University, the
Agriculture University, the State Engineering University of Armenia
and the National Library. The area has been closed for the past month,
with the stated reason being that a cafe in the area is under repairs.

Environmentalists say they are not allowed even to enter the territory
to see the progress of the construction work. Activist Mariam Sukhudyan
says they are convinced this all will inevitably lead to cutting down
of trees in the territory.

A youth action group called "We Are the Owners of Our City" has
launched a collection of signatures against what it views as illegal
construction going on in the Student Park area, reports the Ecolur
environmental NGO. They plan to submit the signatures they collect
to Armenia’s president, prime minister, parliament speaker as well
as Yerevan’s mayor.

Student Park is also remembered with warm feelings by Yerevantsis of
older generations.

Aramayis Aslanyan, a 64-year-old employee of the Yerevan Project
Institute, hurried to the area near Alexander Tamanyan Statue after
work on Tuesday. He was one of 3,000 people who contributed his
signature to the environmental campaign on that day.

"I was a student in the 1960s and my sweetest memories are connected
with this very park as we would not only hang out there, but also
would do some drawing and cartographic work," Aslanyan told ArmeniaNow.

Today’s young people also want the park saved as many students say
they are tired of going to distant parks to spend their free time
after classes.

"A few years ago when I studied in Germany I noticed that students
there were going to classes with pleasure because the nature
surrounding their universities granted calmness and made their studies
a real pleasure, something that Armenia lacks. And if parks become
fewer, the situation will only get worse," says Hayk Barseghyan, 23,
one of the initiators of the signature collection campaign.

The group says the collection of signatures will continue until May 7.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress