Over the next three years, nearly 243,000 trees will be planted across 101.95 hectares in the Green Belt surrounding Astana, according to Sagynbek Shunkeyev, Director of the Halyk Charitable Fund, infotabigat.kz reports.
Shunkeyev noted that since 2016, the Halyk Fund has invested 85 billion tenge in social projects. This year, under the Halyk Ormany initiative, the fund has allocated 1 billion tenge to support environmental programs, expanding the capital’s Green Belt.
“Nationwide, we plan to plant four million trees as part of the Halyk Ormany project — in the Abai Region, Ile-Alatau, and the Green Belt of Astana. For each region, we conduct soil research to determine the most suitable tree species. Today, we planted 7,500 apple trees across three hectares,” said Shunkeyev.
In total, the fund aims to plant more than 806,000 trees across three regions this year, all sourced from local nurseries in Kazakhstan.
More than 150 participants joined the planting event, including students and faculty from Astana IT University, teachers and pupils from Miras School, employees of Halyk Bank and Atameken Business Channel, as well as local residents.
Shunkeyev emphasized that such initiatives not only improve the environment but also help foster environmental awareness and responsibility among the younger generation.
“Even as students, we’re happy to take part in projects like this,” said Aruzhan, a high school student from Astana. “Climate change, pollution, and water scarcity affect everyone. We understand that our future depends on how we treat nature.”
The tree planting was carried out by the team of Zhassyl Aimaq, a state forestry enterprise. Before planting, experts conduct soil analysis, prepare the project design, and nurture the seedlings for two years before they are ready to be moved to open soil.
“These apple trees were grown entirely in Kazakhstan – from seed to mature sapling,” said Mukhit Ramazanov, General Director of Zhassyl Aimaq. “Today marks an important milestone – the day our two-year-old saplings are ready to be planted. Under the Halyk Ormany project, we plan to create a 100-hectare forest within the next five years.”
The campaign represents a new phase of the Halyk Ormany environmental project, implemented by Timur Kulibayev’s Halyk Fund in cooperation with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.
Earlier in 2025, the foundation launched the GreenAct eco-challenge, aimed at supporting the best environmental initiatives from individuals and organizations. The project attracted major companies and environmental activists across Kazakhstan, generating dozens of innovative ideas.
Previously, Halyk organized several large-scale greening campaigns — planting 3,500 spruce trees in Ile-Alatau National Park in honor of World War II heroes, and apple trees in Almaty’s Central Park. These efforts have become an important step in promoting ecological culture and sustainable development principles.
Photo: Press service of Timur Kulibayev’s Halyk Charitable Fund