THE NATIONAL (15/12/2021)
Asphalt and concrete spread across the densely-populated eastern neighbourhoods of Amman. Only a few trees dot a dry, dusty park tucked away in the suburb of Marka.
But over the last year, the local park has been receiving unusual visitors.
“We are seeing a lot of bees, butterflies, many different birds,” says Omar Sharif, who has been working at the park as a guard for more than two decades. “A hoopoe came to visit, the king of birds,” he says excitedly, scrolling through his phone, pausing to show a blurry photo of a fox he also spotted in the park for the first time.
In November, 780 seedlings of 18 different species were planted on about 250 square metres of the park, as part of an initiative to create dense micro-forests in Jordan. Animals used to be a rare sight in the arid park, but this small patch of lush green is bringing a few surprising changes.
“I’ve been working here since 2004, and I’ve never seen so many animals coming,” says the park’s director, Sami Shawarba.
The tiny forest is an initiative by Jordanian architect Deema Assaf and Japanese forester Nochi Motoharu. The duo received support from the German development agency GIZ to create green infrastructure and improve living conditions in disadvantaged areas in east Amman, in partnership with the city’s municipality (…)