Bustan Qaraaqa Tree Nursery

One year ago the Bustan Qaraaqa Tree Nursery began propagating Palestinian native plants with the notion that the solutions and opportunities provided by trees to combat the environmental crisis in the Palestinian Territories should be made freely available to the Palestinian community.

Globally, populations depend for their prosperity upon tree products (fruit, nuts, fodder, fuel, oil, fibre etc.), and tree services (soil protection and improvement, habitat creation and diversification; ecosystem restoration to resist desertification). The rapid degradation of the Palestinian environment and the associated decline in living standards is the product of the illegal occupation impeding efforts to protect or improve land quality. This results in habitat destruction; soil erosion and soil and water pollution. The confiscation of farmland and water resources, fragmentation of territory and denial of freedom of movement resulting in the isolation of markets and suppliers of produce has precipitated the collapse of the domestic agricultural economy. These debilitating restrictions exacerbate global environmental challenges such as population growth, species decline and extinction, climate change and desertification.

We believe trees will play a key role in delivering the solutions required to restore a vital and fruitful landscape in the face of environmental challenges and political impediment.

This year, for the first time, the Bustan Qaraaqa nursery supplies a high quality line of over 50 species and varieties of trees for food, fuel, construction materials, soil restoration, landscaping and ecological restoration at the community level. Located on the Bustan Qaraaqa Permaculture Farm in the beautiful Wadi Hanna Saad, between the hills of Bethlehem and the Judean Desert, the tree nursery, the only native plant supplier in the territories, provides a means by which Palestine’s precious flora can return to this beleaguered land and equip its people to take action to abate the worsening environmental crisis.

Services offered include special orders for site-specific provenance, rare and endangered species, various sizes of containerised and bare-rooted plants, and, by prior arrangement, large quantities for restoration jobs.

The Bustan Qaraaqa Nursery team has extensive experience in agroforestry including silviculture, forest gardening, ecological restoration and habitat enhancement. The team is also continually experimenting on-site to develop agroforestry techniques and designs as well as exploring the potential uses of diverse species. Focusing on the issues of water security and food security (productivity and diversity), resisting land confiscation, remediation of contaminated land, and combating desertification using native species, we are truly dedicated to developing appropriate agriculture and landscaping for this land and people.

WHAT'S GROWING IN THE NURSERY?

Trees and advice are available, free of charge, to anyone committed to caring for the trees until established. For those living in the Bethlehem area, a preliminary site visit by the team to offer advice and inspiration for the possibilities on your site and subsequent “follow up” support can be arranged to help you get the most out of your situation. Bearing in mind that the nursery is in its first year from humble beginnings, tree availability is limited for this autumn/winter planting season but we hope to expand production year on year.

Those wishing to make a donation in exchange for trees are encouraged to do so as their support will enable the nursery to continue to reintroduce locally extinct species and pioneer agroforestry as a means to support communities striving against poverty and oppression.

PLANT A TREE IN PALESTINE!