Improving Nersisyan Forest

By blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the Armenia Round Table in collaboration with the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, UNDP Armenia Office and Armenia Tree Project Charitable Foundation launched a tree planting event on April 11, 2010. 50 elm-trees were planed in Nersisyan forest which is located in the vicinity of the Mother See and is of historic significance for all Armenians.

Established in the first half of the 19th century by the Catholicos of all Armenians, Nerses V Ashtaraketsi (1843-1857) the forest stretched for 100 ha around Etchmiadzin. In the course of years the forest became one of the wonders of Araratyan valley. However, it had a short life to live and the forest gradually became a graveyard for thousands of refugees who fled from the Western Armenia because of Genocide 1915 and became devastated during the energy crisis of 1990s when most of trees were cut down. The territory emptied and being out of the Church management had seen no rehabilitation or replanting.
Recently, the Church has acquired the administration of about 8.5 ha of the forest plot. A small part of it was made an attractive playground for children and the rest was to be replanted as a forest, thus improving the area and making it an irreplaceable green place for pilgrimage and rest. The tree planting is recognized as a symbol of a special duty of every Christian and as a God pleasing endeavor.

Before tree panting, people participated in Divine Liturgy in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin after which gathered in Nersisyan forest, where the ceremony of Andastan (blessing of four corners) took place. His Holiness Karekin II spoke about care for God created world and nature, conveyed blessings and words of appreciation to those who undertook the initiative of rehabilitating and bettering the forest area.

Speeches followed by Very Rev. Fr. Hovakim Manoukyan, Head of Inter-Church Relations Department of the Mother See, Dr. Karen Nazaryan, Executive Director of Armenia Round Table Foundation, Ms. Dafina Gercheva, the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative.

Dr. Karen Nazaryan made a particular mention to Armenia Round Table’s membership to Alliance of Religions and Conservation, and introduced activities that the Alliance fulfils worldwide, among which a reference was made to a global movement and inclusion of Etchmiadzin in it, in the heart of which is promotion of green pilgrimage and nature protection. Those present enthusiastically engaged in tree planting and the area looked much better and refreshed afterwards.