FAO's country team in Georgia planted 25 trees in Georgia's Borjomi region where more than 250 hectares of forest have been destroyed in 2008.

Borjomi National Park is one of the largest national parks in Europe. It has always been renowned for its rare and endemic species of trees as well as unique plants. In August, 2008, wildfires hit Borjomi forest which has top grade ecological significance. Wildfires, lasting several days, spread across 950 ha of forest from which 250 ha has been completely burnt to the ground. Effects of the disaster hinders natural restoration of the forest and human intervention has no alternative. According to experts from WWF and United Nation’s Development Program the ‘Borjomi forest requires urgent human intervention, otherwise damages to natural forest will become irreversible’.

FAO in Georgia joined the tree planting campaign by Business Information Agency (BIA), start up Treepex and National Forestry Agency of Georgia. The goal of the campaign is to completely rehabilitate Borjomi Forest. To achieve this the entire territory should be cleared from debris created as a result of the fire and plant and take care of 750,000 trees over next 5 years. The campaign gives opportunity and unites businesses and individuals across the globe to take part. For more information visit: www.aghadgine.ge