Ukraine plants one million trees in Kharkiv region

Ukrainian volunteers begain planting pines and oaks in the Hutyan forest farm in the Kharkiv region.

Foresters plan to plant up to a million seedlings that were grown in greenhouses during the year,  Director of Forestry, Mykola Zhelnovach, says.

Trees planting began on March 21. At the same time the foresters planned to plant more than five thousand saplings on one plot.

"The enemy destroys a majority of forests. We need to renew it, because we need to breathe," Mykola Sydorenko says.

These seedlings are grown in greenhouses throughout the year, and planted in the forest in the spring, says Mykola Zhelnovach, director of the Hutyan Forestry. Pines and oaks are planted, in particular, on the site of a cut down forest.

"This plantation is 128 years old. Laboratory tests were carried out. The results say the plantation was infected with a root fungus, and a complete sanitary felling was prescribed here," the forest farm director explains.

More than 5,700 trees should be planted on one hectare during the day.

"In general, we plan to plant up to a million new saplings in our forest farm: 400,000 pines and 550,000 oaks," Zhelnovach says.

"32 people are involved in the campaign. I think we will plant an area of ​​1 hectare in a day. Our forestry campaign lasts 10 days – until March 30," he adds.

When these trees are planted, new seeds will be sown in the greenhouses, which will grow saplings for the next year, says the director of the forest farm.

If the seedlings remain, they will be transferred to other forestry companies.