Armenia Tree Project (ATP) has been awarded a 695,000 euro grant from the European Union to increase environmental protection and climate change adaptation capacities in Armenia's small regional cities and towns. ATP is the lead applicant of the grant, with the Jinishian Memorial Foundation and the Armenian Energy Agency Foundation as co-applicants.

The grant will finance the implementation of the action entitled "Green community - resilient future": introducing a green urban development model aimed at Armenia's enhanced environmental protection and climate change adaptation.

Fifteen municipalities and their neighboring communities in the regions of Shirak, Lori, and Tavush have been selected as beneficiaries. Funding will be used to:

• Green targeted 15 municipalities
• Green 50 schools and 10 parks 
• Enhance urban greening capacity in targeted communities 
• Establish 100 hectares of forests in 10 areas adjunct to the cities and towns
• Establish 150 backyard nurseries, modeled after ATP’s award-winning backyard nursery program
• Establish 1 nursery near Gyumri, modeled after the successful Mirak Family Reforestation Nursery operated by ATP
• Create an online information sharing and learning portal 
• Establish 10 Eco Clubs and enhance ATP’s existing 5 in said regions
• Engage 7,000 schoolchildren in environmental education activities
• Hold eco-camps and annual country-wide clean-up competition campaigns to increase environmental awareness

"We, at the Armenian Energy Agency foundation, are delighted about being a co-partner within this project, which is another opportunity for us to talk about green energy, benefits of renewable and efficient energy. I congratulate ATP and the Jinishian Memorial Foundation, and wish good luck to all of us to achieve our goals," says Luiza Vardanyan, the General Director of the AEA foundation.