The Chouf Cedar Reserve allocated in 2007 around 175 cedar trees to the victims of the Lebanese army killed in the battle of Nahr al-Bared camp in the North. Each tree bore a martyr’s name so that the memory of their sacrifices to their homeland are immortalized.
Today, history is repeating itself as the Reserve announces an initiative to honor the victims of the August 4 Beirut blast by planting cedar trees for each of the 181 victims currently identified and more victims if the number increases.
On the importance of this initiative, the Reserve’s spokesperson, Sarah Nasrallah, said: “We decided that the memory of the martyrs of the explosion should be immortalized, just like the martyrs in the Lebanese army. The forest will carry the name Forest of Martyrs of the Beirut Blast.”
Regarding the nature of the initiative and its procedures, Nasrallah said: “We started preparing to plant the cedar trees in October. We will launch the initiative and invite the families of the victims and the media. Each victim’s family will place a metal plate bearing the name of their deceased next to a newly planted cedar tree in this forest.”
She also indicated in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat that the biosphere is always prepared to plant new cedar trees for various occasions. She comments: “We have dedicated a space in the forest for the Adopt a Cedar Program. Participation is open to anyone who wishes to offer a gift to a relative or a loved one, a cedar tree bearing his name.”
“And in 2019, we were able to plant around 500 trees bearing the names of people from Lebanon and abroad, who saw in this initiative a token of love that they would give to a dear one.”
Nasrallah stressed that these small cedar seedlings can grow rapidly, 7 cm per year. She added: “There are many people who visit the forest at least once a year to check on their trees and their growth.”
Normally, whoever wants to plant a cedar tree is asked for around 300,000 Lebanese Pounds. In return, the reserve gives them a lifelong membership card that allows them to visit whenever the reserve is open.
Regarding the Martyrs of Beirut Blast Forest, she explaind: “It is a gesture to honor the victims, alleviate the suffering of their families and maybe ease the tragedy that befell them because of the loss of a loved one.”
“It is a difficult task, especially since all the Lebanese, without exception, were affected by the Beirut bombing, and it has been stamped in their memories. The cedar tree that bears their names may serve as a means of condolence and compensation for their loss.”
A team of workers at the reserve, as well as agricultural engineers and cedar experts, take care of the cedar trees. “We pay great attention to it, and we treat like a compatriot due to the cedar tree’s eternal symbolism to our homeland. This initiative, like its predecessor for victims of the army, has many humanitarian meanings.”
Established in 1996, the Chouf Cedar Nature Reserve, a critical habitat for birds, is the largest of its kind in Lebanon. It is the last southern extension of Lebanese cedars, around 160 km2, and home to 30 percent of Lebanon’s remaining cedar forests. In 2005, UNESCO designated it and the 22 villages around it, which encompass 500 km2 square combined, a biosphere reserve, five percent of Lebanon.
