The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Davit Songulashvili, spoke about the significance of the upcoming project ‘My First Sapling’. The Minister highlighted that the government-approved initiative will foster early-age environmental stewardship and a responsible attitude towards nature among first-year primary school children.

According to the Minister, the project will launch to coincide with International Tree Planting Day, on 22 October, and will run for one month. The initiative will engage over 41,000 first-grade pupils across Georgia, each planting their first sapling. Activities will follow a tailored schedule based on specific geographical and ecological requirements of each region and municipality.

“This is a profoundly important and large-scale project that will give every first-grader across Georgia the opportunity to plant their very own sapling. This year, more than 41,000 children starting school will participate in this initiative, which teaches them from an early age to care for the environment and cultivates a special bond with nature. Funding for the project will be drawn from resources earmarked for environmental restoration. Consequently, whilst remediating ecological damage on the one hand, we are also instilling environmental responsibility in our children from early childhood,” stated Davit Songulashvili.

He added that within the framework of the programme, special emphasis will be placed on the subsequent care and monitoring of the saplings planted by the children. To this end, a digital platform will be established, allowing each pupil to track their trees’ growth and development.

“The project will launch on 22 October and will be rolled out over the course of a month nationwide according to a tailored timetable. Planting locations and tree species will be selected with due regard to regional and municipal characteristics. The process will involve the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Regional Development, local municipalities, Tbilisi City Hall, schools, teachers, headteachers, and parents. Children will be allowed to observe the growth and development of the tree they planted through an electronic platform. “My First Sapling” will become an annual programme, linking the start of the school journey for first-graders to this vital initiative every year. Ultimately, by the time these children leave school, they will leave behind a fully grown tree that contributes to the health and greening of our environment,” noted the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.