On May 15, the Green Team in the US Embassy
in Ulaanbaatar celebrated Earth Day and the inaugural Mongolian Tree Planting
Day, with active participation of local and American staff members, host
government officials including Purevsuren from the President’s Office, Foreign
Policy Advisor D.Batbold, and A. Avirmed Ayurzana from the Ministry of Nature
and Environment, local NGOs, and Mongolian celebrities like singer S.Naran. The
event included planting of 80 trees outside the Embassy compound.   

Ambassador Addleton and Batbold, Head of
Foreign Relations Department of Minister of Environment and Tourism,
highlighted the importance of communities collaborating to protect and preserve
the environment.  The Ambassador mentioned a couple of proverbs. The first
one was from the US:
 “When you plant a tree, you also plant hope”. The second was from Mongolia: If you plant one tree, it is a good deed for this
lifetime; if you plant two, it is a good deed for your next life

Two Lamas blessed the tree planting.