Obozrevatel (Russian Observer) Anniversary Tree Planting

The Russian Observer newspaper – Obozrevatel – has just celebrated its first anniversary and to mark this occasion Yuliya Skripko the Editor in Chief organised a tree planting ceremony which was called the “Forest of International Friendship in Ҫatalköy” and was arranged in conjunction with the Ҫatalköy Belediyesi and the Girne Kaymakam (District Officer) who gave a lot of help in the negotiations which led to the land being made available.

This took place on Sunday 3rd March and everyone gathered in the car park of Shayna Beach Club where we signed a large poster with our best wishes to the newspaper. As this was mainly a Russian orientated event there were not many other nationalities present but we were honoured with the presence of the Girne Kaymakam – Gürken Kara and the Ҫatalköy Belediyesi Mayor, Mehmet Hulusioğlu. Soon we were ready to go to the planting area and off went the convoy of vehicles. We were in the last 4 cars to leave the car park and the others were out of sight and inevitably our little convoy got lost, but a phone call soon put us right and we then arrived at the planting area where people were already busily planting their trees and tying an identifying ribbon on them.

I had quite a distance to go before I found a little tree waiting patiently to be planted and so set to work with my trusty trowel and tied a pretty piece of yellow ribbon around it. It was a very small tree and I hope it will flourish but as the area is not too far from home perhaps I will make a few visits to see how it is doing from time to time.

The event was very well organised, with around 200 plants being supplied by the Ҫatalköy Belediyesi and the JCB which had prepared the earth for the planting, which was still there, as well as a water tanker which started to water the plants after they had been planted. A vehicle arrived with soft drinks and olive bread rolls and cheesy bread and we were all soon tucking in to a snack and chatting with the other people who had come to help the environment and wish Obozrevatel a happy future.

Next, we were all given a refuse bag and asked to help clean up the area and the beach and everyone happily went about picking up the plastic bottles and rubbish that people leave behind and also gets washed up from the sea. We did quite well with a good half bag full and carried this back to the planting area where there was a refuse lorry waiting to cart the rubbish away.

It was an extremely windy morning and the waves were crashing on the beach but this did not deter the gallant band of people from contributing to make the environment a better place for others. It was a thoroughly enjoyable few hours following which we set off for home and decided to treat ourselves to Sunday lunch on the way.