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Tree planting in combination with the Permaculture system and Groasis Waterboxx’s.

Why plant trees?
Trees help combat climate change and desertification. They absorb excess and harmful CO2. Trees help us breathe clean air and absorb odours and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulphur dioxide and ozone. Trees help communities achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability and provide food, energy and income.  We would like to help bring back ancient knowledge on how to farm in the oasis as it was done before without the use of chemical fertilizers. We want to combine ancient techniques and Permaculture with modern techniques, such as the use of the Groasis Waterboxx. We hope to create awareness on the importance of fighting desertification for people living on the frontier of the huge Sahara desert and that it is important to save the agricultural land and the cultural heritage of this environment.

Introducing the “Green Gateway to the Sahara” and “Green Wall” Projects
– to help restore endangered plant/tree species and to stop erosion and desertification of land
– to stimulate planting with the use of the GroasisWaterboxx to avoid using too much groundwater
– to encourage local farmers with this pilot project
– to re-introduce the “traditional” ways of working the land together with local farmers
– to involve the (local) schoolchildren
– to work together to help each other and to learn from each other
– to bring visitors here to explain the way of life in the oasis as well as the importance of
– preserving this beautiful but fragile environment

By engaging farmers and galvanizing youth to perceive themselves as active participants in their ecosystem, we aim to reverse current trends of desertification. Taking a multifaceted and multi-generational approach, we propose to introduce innovative organic agricultural systems, to reintroduce traditional agricultural systems, and educate a generation of youth on the dangers climate change poses to them, their families, and their futures.

We propose to plant seeds within the community, both literally and figuratively, to turn the Sahara green and enroot anti-desertification methods within youth to sustain these efforts into the future. As the tamarix and date palm trees grow, so will our network of farmers and community members, propagating the knowledge needed to face the realities of encroaching sand dunes and high evaporation rates, knowledge currently lost to chemical fertilizers and Western agricultural methods out of place and harmful in the Moroccan Sahara. In doing so, we will provide achievable models for adopting green behaviors in one’s daily life, establishing a grass roots and community-driven approach to lead environmental campaigns that can be replicated in other regions of Morocco.

Read about our different tree-planting projects and their progress:
March 2020: “Patience is needed unfortunately!”
See…..Patience is needed unfortunately! 
Highlights Sahara-Roots 2019: Dreams do come true!
See….Dreams do come true!
18 – 22 April 2019 Earth Day: Sharing passions & combining traditional music with tree-planting for the future!
See…. Passions, Music and Treeplanting
Highlights of Sahara-Roots Foundation 2018:
See…….Highlights in 2018: 
20 – 24 April 2018 Earth Day: Thirty Groasis waterboxx’s made it to Morocco!
See…..Newsletter Earth Day 2018
Highlights Sahara-Roots Foundation 2017:
See…… Sahara-Roots Newsletter January 2018 
October 2017: Groasis: In October 2017, the first 10 donation boxes have been planted in the Saharan Desert in Morocco. Below you can read the blog of Wanda Hebly, founder of the Sahara Roots Foundation.
August 2017: News in short from Sahara-Roots
See…….News in Short from Sahara-Roots
February 2017: “Inspirational Journey ” in the Sahara and tree-planting
See……Inspirational Journey
November 2016: Sahara-Roots Activities during Taragalte Festival 2016
See…. Miracles really do happen
21 – 24 April 2016 Earth Day : Freeing trees, Replanting and PermaCulture:
See……Earth Day 2016 Sahara Roots
November 2015: Counting trees planted around Bivouac Le Petit Prince and “Joudour Sahara“ See…..    November 2015 counting trees and new projects
22 – 25 April 2015 Earth Day: Planting in Ouarzazate, Zagora and M’hamid: See…..Earth Day 2015 Sahara-Roots Foundation
November 2014:  “Baraka” A blessing.
See….Sahara-Roots activities nov 2014
20 – 22 April 2014 Earth Day : Education is at the heart of Earth Day:
See…. Earth Day 2014 Sahara-Roots
2011 – 2014: development of the tree-planting project around bivouac Le Petit Prince.
See…Tree planting project in Le Petit Prince site 2
21 – 23 April 2013 Earth Day : Face of Climate Change:
See….Earth day 2013 Wanda 
November 2012: Do you know how to persevere? 
See….Do you also know how to persevere?

October 2012: Our newly planted trees survived the summer.
See….Our trees survived the Summer
21 – 22 April 2012 Earth Day : Sahara Roots pledges to help:
See… SAHARA-ROOTS pledges to help 
October 2011: The Walking Sand-dunes.
See…The walking sand dunes
November 2010: “Flearen” trees in the Sahara.
See…..Flearen Trees in the Sahara nov 2010
May 2010: Report tree-plant1ng in Oulad Mhia.
See…. Report Treeplanting Oued Mahia met fotos 2