Ghaf tree-planting with Emirates Environmental Group in Abu Dhabi

By Abu Dhabi HomeSchoolers Association

Posted on February 9th, 2023. Tagged: Year of Sustainability.

What a productive way to start the Year of Sustainability !

It was an amazing opportunity to participate in the tree-planting activity organized by the Emirates Environmental Group. Together with other volunteers, we planted 220 Ghaf trees today. Our homeschoolers totally stood out from the group of volunteers as they were the only ‘kids’ in the entire gathering. Some senior officials even talked to them and appreciated their understanding and awareness to plant trees at this age.

Tree planting activity in the UAE is demanding in different ways; looking for the right organization or group as well as how to physically plant.

As we know that UAE is a desert country, not only do we need to look at the optimal time of the year and weather but also work hard to prepare the sand before planting. The desert sand cannot grow trees naturally so the first step we did was to mix what they call red sand with fertilizer. Young plants also need extra nutrients, so recycled cotton sprayed with it was mixed with the sand as soon as the plant was planted in wet sand.

The plants each had a support structure that will be removed when they are strong enough to stand firm. As Ghaf trees are native to the region they grow very fast. Our plants which were about 1 meter tall can potentially grow up to 4-6 meters in just a few months.

Since the inception of its programme in 2007, EEG has managed to plant 2,114,318 native trees in different areas in the UAE mitigating over 12,467.50 MTCO2 Emissions from the atmosphere annually. They have already planted a total of 9,069 saplings of native trees in 2022 and with proper care; these trees will reach maturity in 3 – 5 years and will in turn mitigate 53.48 MTCO2 Emissions annually. This will contribute to enhancing the health and well-being of people as well as help achieve UAE’s strategy to create Carbon Sinks and tackle the issue of climate change.