Completion of the climate reforestation activities for the planting season of autumn 2022-winter 2023

Saturday March 11th, 2023 / IEP

IEP concluded this year’s reforestation campaign which lasted from October 2022 to beggining of March 2023, by planting 1468 black pine, umbrella pine, cedar, and laurel seedlings, together with 400 seeds of horse chestnuts. This activity was implemented as direct action to mitigate and adapt to climate change by engaging local communities and making them aware of the climate change and ways to mitigate it. Seedlings were planted in the protected areas of Divjakë-Karavasta, Kune-Vain (Lezhë), Korab-Koritnik (Kukës), and in Baldushk (Tiranë). Tens of volunteers and locals were engaged in this activity, which proved to be successful in raising awareness on climate change, and demand more direct action by the authorities.
This activity is supported by Minor Foundation.

Climate reforestation activitity in Kukës

Thursday March 9th, 2023 / IEP

IEP together with the rangers of the Korab-Koritnik Nature Park and the local community of the area, planted 320 black pines (Pinus nigra) as a direct action to mitigate and adapt to climate change by engaging local communities and making them aware of the climate change and ways to mitigate it. The reforestation activity was implemented on 27 January, which was also the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Albanian Forestry Service (27.01.1923). The planted trees are native to the area, and will contribute to the carbon sequestration and combat soil erosion.
This activity is supported by Minor Foundation.

Awareness raising action on sea level rise in Vlora

Thursday March 9th, 2023 / IEP

IEP raised the awareness of the citizens of Vlora on the near future that is expected to happen due to the climate crisis. The aim was to make citizens aware, to influence the policy process in taking measures to adapt to the sea level rise which is happening and will flood large part of the city in the coming decade. Around 500 citizens were reached, who also expressed their concern about the needs to take adaptation measures against the sea level rise.
This activity is supported by Minor Foundation.

Afforestation action by planting 500 stone pines in Divjakë-Karavasta National Park

Tuesday January 24th, 2023 / IEP

IEP joined tens of other volunteers in the afforestation action on 8 January, by donating and planting 500 stone pine (Pinus pinea) seedlings in the Divjakë-Karavasta National Park. This action will create in the coming years a barrier that will trap sand and thus create a barrier against the advancing sea. The pine trees will also capture CO₂ and thus contribute to the climate mitigation efforts to capture as much CO₂ as possible through afforestation. IEP will continue this activity by planting hundreds of other seedlings of different species, in other areas of Albania.
This activity is supported by Minor Foundation.

Reforestation campaign by planting horse chestnut from seeds

Thursday December 1st, 2022 / IEP

IEP concluded successfully the reforestation campaign during the months of October-November 2022 by planting over 600 seeds of horse chestnut trees (Aesculus hippocastanum) a native tree of Albania and a symbol of IEP.
This was the second campaign that IEP organized with the aim of expanding the population of horse chestnut trees in Albania, which is Critically Endangered in Albania.
During October-November 2021 IEP planted over 400 seeds of horse chestnut trees.
Seeds were collected and planted by IEP staff and volunteers. The areas reforested with horse chestnuts are the hilly areas of Baldushk and Farkë, Tirana, by selecting the optimal sites for the seeds to germinate and survive the hot summers.
During the monitoring of the germinated seeds in spring-summer 2022, IEP staff noticed a germination and survival or more than 80% of the seeds that were planted last year.
Besides horse chestnuts, IEP also planted a smaller number of native oak acorns like Quercus cerris, Quercus Frainetto, and Quercus petraea. This activity is a direct action against climate crisis/global heating. When the trees that IEP planted will be 6-7 years old, they sequester 10-20 ton of CO₂ annually.
This activity was supported by the Minor Foundation for Major Challenges through the project Climate action for Albania – Albanian Green Deal.