Locals Plant Trees in Iranian City in Environmental Campaign

Residents planted trees in the Zagros Mountains surrounding a Kurdish city as part of an annual environmental restoration campaign.

A local NGO in Saqqez organised the tree-planting event in the highlands around the Sarchenar neighbourhood, drawing civil activists, hiking groups, and families who planted oak, almond, and hawthorn saplings.

The ceremony ran from morning until noon, with participants planting hundreds of seedlings despite near-freezing temperatures, according to videos obtained by IranWire.

Children and women made up a significant portion of the attendees. The event included songs, artistic performances, and speeches highlighting environmental protection and the importance of preserving the Zagros ecosystem.

The tree-planting effort is part of an annual December tradition known as “Zagrosaneh,” observed in cities across the Zagros region, particularly in Kurdistan province.

The grassroots campaign aims to restore forests through community-led planting efforts.

The Zagros Mountains in western Iran have faced severe deforestation, overgrazing, and climate-related degradation in recent decades. Oak forests that once covered the region have shrunk dramatically.

Saqqez gained international attention in 2022 as the hometown of Mahsa Amini, whose death in police custody sparked nationwide protests. The city has since remained a centre of civil activism.