Bust all stereotypes you might have of Iranians: A retired teacher in Kohgiluyeh and the Boyer Ahmad Province has planted over 10,000 oak tree saplings over a two-decade period.
Mohammad Hossein Aria has devoted several years of his life to the protection and revival of forests, and believes that there is no room for famine or flooding in tree-covered areas and that since forests are a sanctuary for plants and animals, they also play a key role in the lives of people.
On what made him start planting the trees, Aria said, “Disappearance of some oak trees in the Zagros Mountains, in particular in my home province, and a film which featured once dense forests of the region galvanized me into action.”
As for difficulties he has faced in his efforts to plant trees, he said, “Once I got a flat tire and I had to walk 40 km.”
He concluded that as a teacher he had always tried to educate his students on the importance of forests.
So, did any of those trees survive?