Biodiversity on the Front : Guardians of the Juniper

التاريخ

29 August 2025 starting 7:30 PM

المكان

Esprits Libres, Hermel, Lebanon

Protecting Lebanon’s Juniper, Our Living Heritage

Lebanon’s endangered juniper trees face urgent threats from illegal cutting, arson fires, and biodiversity loss. In collaboration with “Esprits Libres” School in Hermel, Biodiversity in the Front: Guardians of the Juniper brings together local communities, youth, environmental and social activists to explore solutions and inspire action to protect these iconic trees. This event is a series of an engaging impact tour in Lebanon aimed at tackling critical biodiversity issues directly with affected communities using the power of cinema storytelling.

Program Schedule

7:30 PM – Film Screening: Memory Within a Tree, a short documentary by Wassim Tanios
7:30 PM – Youth Screening (Ages 11–15): Featuring three environmental short films created by REEF Youth Ambassadors
8:00 PM – Panel Discussion: Exploring the consequences of cutting juniper trees and turning awareness into community action. The discussion will focus on reforestation, eco-tourism, and environmental education, highlighting practical ways communities can protect, preserve, and plant more junipers.
8:00 PM – Youth Writing & Art Workshop (Ages 11–15): The Juniper’s Voice, an interactive workshop encouraging young participants to express their connection to Lebanon’s natural heritage through writing and art.

A discussion to transform awareness into concrete action

The panel will address the urgent need to protect Lebanon’s endangered junipers, underlining their ecological importance for biodiversity, water balance, and climate regulation, as well as the threats posed by illegal cutting and arson fires. Discussion will focus on grassroots solutions such as reforestation and eco-tourism that link conservation with sustainable livelihoods, alongside the role of education in inspiring children and youth to become future custodians of Lebanon’s natural heritage.

Speakers include:

Dr. Antoine Daher – Physician and environmental pioneer from Kobayat, founder of the Environmental Council in Kobayat and the Kobayat Cultural Salon, co-founder of the REEF environmental and film festival, former editor-in-chief of Elle Oriental, and author of Vent du nord. He will also act as moderator.
Dr. Ghoussoun Wahoud – Educational sciences scholar (PhD, Saint Joseph University), co-founder and director of Esprits Libres school, and social activist dedicated to advancing education and human values.
Dr. Youssef Tawk – Physician and environmental activist from Bsharri, known for reforesting over 130,000 cedars, pioneering recycling initiatives, and currently leading efforts to plant junipers at high altitudes to protect Lebanon’s water resources.
Hussein Allaw – Founder of Al Jourd, an eco-tourism initiative promoting sustainable travel and conservation in Lebanon.

About the Film: Memory Within a Tree

Wassim Tanios’ short film is a journey in the high arid mountains with two dedicated men to encounter the Juniper tree, revealing their active connection to this tree thus restoring its lost value as a sacred living organism, a keeper of memory and an ecological pillar essential in our present time and to our future.

Youth Activities

Youth aged 11 to 15 from the Hermel region will have a parallel program of their own. It will feature the screening of three short audiovisual works created by the REEF Ambassadors during their 10-month mentorship in Akkar, supported by professional artists. The screening will be followed by a creative writing and art activity led by Khouzama Jawhari.

Film description:

Not just a tree, a Comedy News Program by Salma Jarouj, Rim Haddad, Rasha Haddad, Samir Kanjo and Kanjo Kanjo, Mentored by Nohra Jarmash. Through street interviews, nature reports, and animated ancestral legends, the film dives into the historical, cultural, and ecological significance of the lazzab (Juniper) tree, a majestic symbol of resilience in Lebanon’s highlands.

Dabe3 Cast , a Podcast by Raphael Ward, Charbel Elias, and Abdallah Ali, mentored by Joseph Ibrahim. This podcast dives into the fascinating world of the striped hyena in Lebanon, a creature often surrounded by fear, myths, and misunderstanding. Through personal stories, expert insights, and village tales, we explore what makes this animal so unique, its role in the ecosystem, and how people interact with it in real life. The episode is a journey that blends science, emotion, and local culture all through the lens of Lebanese voices.

The Hidden Truth , a Fiction Animation by Sami Chahine, Lynn Zeitouny, Michelle Abdo, Pamela Youssef, mentored by Fadi Syriani – The Youth Animation Platform. In this fiction with animated scenes a group of enthusiastic young explorers go on an adventure to discover a hidden secret book that tells the real “Red Riding Hood Story”, and redeems a long feared animal, the “Big Bad Wolf”.

All three works were filmed and edited by Edgard Hbeich.