How to Plant a Forest

One very, very cold and windy day, near the village of Cruzești, I join a cheerful throng of volunteers to plant 1000 trees.

Planting a small forest, we become part of a passionate climate resilience initiative.

Facts: Once upon a time—in the Middle Ages, to be exact, forests covered almost half of Moldova’s gently rolling hills. Today, due to increasingly intensive farming, only 11% of the country is forested, 40% of farmable land is severely degraded, and 90% of water resources are undrinkable. This makes Moldova highly vulnerable to climate change, especially rural communities and farmers. Trees are essential to their future.

Figures: Deep respect for the humans engaged in the renaissance of forests in this country. Hai Moldova leads the way as the largest local civic initiative with a cadre of field experts. USAID Moldova dedicates energy and funds to efforts like this one that strengthen the country’s economic growth. Volunteering to lend a hand, Peace Corps Moldova engaged for the first time in 2023, planting 1500 trees to celebrate the 1500 volunteers that served in the first 30 years of Peace Corps service here.

How to plant a forest, you might wonder…

1. Find an expert guide to lead you. Ours is Nadia, with Hai Moldova.

2. Secure the support of local authorities. The mayor of Cruzești champions the initiative.

3. Choose the right locale and tree species. For us, a grassy hill and acacia trees.

4. Plant in Autumn or Spring. November, this time.

5. Prepare the land with tractors—creating rows for planting.

6. Prepare the seedlings—trimming to 10+ centimeters in height and soaking beforehand in a mud slurry.

7. Dig a hole twice the width of the seedling, ensure the root collar is at ground level, backfill the hole with soil, stamp/tamp down to settle and secure the tree.

8. Plant the young trees close together for high density—3 meters between rows, 70 centimeters between trees in a row.

9. Mark the planting area to prevent accidental damage.

10. Visit and talk to your forest as often as possible.

I promise to visit our little forest next spring. Will definitely share photos!

Planting a Forest Takes a Family! Here I am, with seedlings, Amy Griswold, and David Eldred.

My views do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Peace Corps or the U.S. government.