Lebanon celebrated its Arbor Day on December 7. Activists,
students and environmentalists gathered in open spaces to plant
trees. Recent years have seen growing grassroots and government
efforts to preserve Lebanon’s famed cedar forests, but there has
been scant attention paid to rare juniper trees. There is
currently no law to protect the vanishing Lebanese juniper tree.
“I have cherished the Lazzab [juniper tree] since childhood, it
is the only tree that lives at elevations reaching up to 2,700
metres above sea level,” Lebanese activist Christian Akhras told
Al-Shorfa. “It is scattered in Mount Lebanon and on the
foothills of the eastern and western mountains of Lebanon.”
Today, massive re-forestation campaigns are taking place across
the Kfardebian area of the Kesrouan district. “We rely on
agricultural specialists and volunteers from universities, scout
associations and civil organizations,” said Joelle Saad of the
environmental organization Jouzour Loubnan [Roots of Lebanon].
“In 2012, we planted more th