Filming, leasing, building

Project goal: Environmental education and protection of forests and rare species in the Southern Caucasus region
Implementation:

• Self-produced films about local nature, environmental problems and the renovation and expansion of the zoo in the capital city of Yerevan;
• Leasing of mountain and forest areas to convert them into protected areas, also ecotourism

Project size: The organization FPWC has an average annual budget of 500,000 euros ($567,725), employs 15 people, including rangers and volunteers; the reconstruction of the zoo, including six enclosures, a playground, new lines and power supply, a veterinary clinic and parks cost about one million euros ($1,135,450), financed by the community, donations and the FPWC
Biodiversity: The Southern Caucasus houses about 100 different types of landscape with more than 7,000 species, including the lynx and the Caucasian Armenian Mouflon

Few regions of the world are as biodiverse as the South Caucasus. Its variety of landscapes is home to more than 7,000 species. The filmmaker Ruben Khachatryan wants to keep it that way. For 13 years now, he has been working in environmental protection in the region with his Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC). The organization leased an area of about ​​5,000 hectares to convert it into a protected zone. Here it is hoped ecotourism will generate an income for the population. The organization is educating children about environmental protection in an ingenious way - by having them shoot films about nature and their environment. Ruben Khachatryan is also the director of the Yerevan Zoo, which mainly features species native to Armenia.

A film by Juri Rescheto