A Newborn Forest Provides Local Jobs

Shirak's high plateau is one of the harshest places in Armenia to grow a tree — thin soil, brutal winters, and wind that strips young seedlings before they can root. It's exactly the kind of site ATP has chosen for its newest forestry project in the community of Pemzashen.

Since planting began, the site has become more than an environmental project — it's become a paycheck. Dozens of residents have been hired for site preparation, planting, watering, and the years of follow-up care a forest in this climate demands to survive its fragile early seasons.

"We're not just planting trees, we're planting a forest that has to earn its place in this ground," said the ATP field lead overseeing the site. "Every seedling that makes it through its first two winters here is a small victory."

If successful, Pemzashen will serve as a model for forestry in Armenia's other high-altitude, low-rainfall regions — proving that even the country's most demanding terrain can support new forest, and new livelihoods, at the same time.