TEHRAN — People in the city of Tehran have been invited to plant some three million trees within the framework of a campaign run by an NGO on the platform of the social media.

The campaign called “ye alameh derakht” literary meaning “a lot of trees” is encouraging people to participate in a scheme to plant the trees at 354 parks of the capital.

The move will be taken in association with Tehran Municipality and concurrent with Natural Resources Week falling on March 5-12 with its first day dedicated to tree planting, IRNA reported.

“This is the second year that the scheme is running; last year some five million trees were planted in Tehran in two months,” Matin Sharifi, the executive director of the scheme, said.

“Now that everyone is caught up with social media we decided to draw their interest to tree planting using social media such as Telegram an Instagram,” Sharifi explained.

He went on to say that “we are planning on planting trees in 354 parks in 354 various neighborhoods in Tehran since Saturday.”

Starting on February 23 so far some 40,000 have joined the campaign; he said, those who have taken part in the campaign will be given 10 saplings to plant as each 10 trees produce the same amount of oxygen a human being needs over a year.

He further pointed out that participants can also enter a “tree planting league” which is scheduled to be held on Saturday in Velayat Park; “citizens can from groups with at least 10 members and plant trees in an hour and a judge would decide a winner according to the standards of tree planting.”

Those who are interested to take on the campaign can send a message to a telegram bot @tehranderakhtbot or call 02177680091 extension 138 until March 10, Sharifi added.

MQ/MG