KUWAIT: Environmental activist and founder of al-sidr plant reserve initiative Obaid Al-Shemmari said that he plans to plant 10,000 sidr (Ziziphus spina-christi) trees at the sidr natural reserve in Arifjan by 2023 with the help of volunteers and those who care about greening. In an interview, Al-Shemmari said that after completing the plantation of 3,000 sidr trees, an expansion is on the way to continue with plantation of more trees in Kuwait due to not only being a greening priority, but also because it has an economic and environmental incentive to the country.

Al-Shemmari noted that his initiative or project started first at the sidr natural reserve, specifically planting 450 trees in 2018. But he expanded the idea little by little until it became a natural reserve area with 3,000 sidr trees, with social participation and collective work due to a sense of national duty. Al-Shemmari said he hopes all engage in such initiative, individually or through various institutes and public contribution so that everyone benefit from it.

Al-Shemmari added that his goal is to reach 10,000 sidr trees in the next period, which will lead to sidr producing national date and honey, and other useful products. Al-Shemmari also said that the idea behind the project was to strengthen the culture of volunteerism among youths and to establish a greening culture, stressing importance on the role by the Agriculture Public Institute, which bolster that idea with the concept of raising awareness, through seminars and workshops.

Last week, volunteers joined hands to plant sidr trees at the sidr natural reserve. Asrar Al-Ansari, spokesperson of the Public Authority for Youth, said that the initiative was in line with the national approach to encourage junior citizens partake in projects for beautifying and developing Kuwait.

The youngsters planted 2,000 sidr small trees and, the environmental activist, Obaid Al-Shemmari, said there would be another identical activity to plant 3,000 sidr trees soon. Kuwait is largely a desert country however there have been identical initiatives at state and grassroot levels for greening the Gulf country.