The Desert Retreats: Siberian Wellness Volunteers Plant Saxaul Trees in the Aral Sea Region

Today, desertification and soil degradation are among the most pressing global environmental issues. According to the UN, due to improper land use, soil erosion occurs 100 times faster than its natural regeneration.The mismanagement of water resources for agricultural needs led to one of the largest environmental catastrophes of the 20th century – the drying up of the Aral Sea. The consequences of this tragedy are so widespread that salty dust from the Aral Sea bed has even been found in Antarctica.

Restoring the Aral Sea region’s ecosystem is a crucial task supported at the national level. In Uzbekistan, the “My Garden in the Aral Sea” project, implemented by the International Innovation Center for the Aral Sea Region under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change, plays a key role. Employees, brand consultants, and clients of Siberian Wellness have participated for the second consecutive year in planting salt- and drought-resistant saxaul saplings in the Aralkum Desert, which formed where the Aral Sea once lay.

On November 15, 2024, as part of the international forest-climate project “100 Hectares,” 159 participants, including students and teachers from 10 schools in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, planted saxaul saplings. Thanks to the efforts of company employees and brand consultants, funds were raised for 5,220 saplings. Volunteers from Russia and Kazakhstan also joined the initiative, proving once again that nature knows no borders.

The event was held in a warm and collaborative atmosphere. Following tradition, participants sang the Karakalpak song “Dengiz Qayt” (Return, Sea), which inspires hope for the revival of the Aral and deeply moves everyone present.

The Siberian Wellness team has set even bigger goals for the next season: they aim to plant 10,000 saplings. Let’s unite to protect our planet!

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