Forest Expert Tobias Kühnhanss at “Shen” NGO Forest and Agroforest Sites
“Shen” NGO had the pleasure of welcoming Tobias Kühnhanss, a forest management expert from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), to Armenia.
Before his trip, Tobias met online with the “Shen” NGO team to discuss the challenges faced in managing forest and agroforest sites and to gain an initial understanding of the local context. During his two-week stay in Armenia, he visited two of the “Shen” NGO forest sites and one agroforest site, accompanied by three staff members from the organization.
This visit was organized as part of WSL’s contribution to the "Forest Restoration and Climate Change in Armenia" (FORACCA) project, funded by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC). “Shen” NGO is responsible for implementing the agroforestry component of this project. The purpose of this first field visit was for Tobias to gather insights on the existing forest and agroforest sites established by the “Shen” NGO, and to develop recommendations for future tree planting and maintenance strategies.
During his visits to the Dzoraglukh, Ttujur, and Shenavan sites, Tobias observed firsthand the various challenges of planting trees on community lands in Armenia, including social, climatic, and soil-related constraints. His keen interest in understanding traditional tree-planting practices in Armenia led to insightful discussions with the “Shen” NGO team.
Tobias will now return to Switzerland with valuable observations and experiences from Armenia. We look forward to welcoming him again next year and to benefiting from new approaches and techniques that will help us improve our planting protocols and ensure the long-term sustainability of agroforestry projects across Armenia.
“The Forest Restoration and Climate Change in Armenia” (FORACCA) project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and co-funded by the four implementing organizations under the Forest Alliance of Armenia, including Shen NGO, My Forest Armenia NGO (MFA), Armenia Tree Project Charitable Foundation (ATP), and Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC). The project is implemented in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research (WSL).
