The Sarzur Zuma tree planting event was held in the historic port of Guran by the Guran Rural Development Cooperative Company. Also, the Qeshm Island UNESCO Global Geopark management, Department of Environment, Deputy of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Qeshm Free Zone Area, and tourism and environmental activists participated in this event.

Published on : Jan 10, 2023

The Sarzur Zuma tree planting event ​​​​​​​was held in the historic port of Guran by the Guran Rural Development Cooperative Company. Also, the Qeshm Island UNESCO Global Geopark management, Department of Environment, Deputy of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Qeshm Free Zone Area, and tourism and environmental activists participated in this event.

According to the public relations and international affairs of the Qeshm Free Zone Area, the director of Qeshm Island UNESCO Global Geopark said by announcing this news that the purpose of organizing this event is to help preserve and restore mangrove trees to achieve the concepts and standards of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network through education, the revival of local knowledge, and the participation of the local community in the Mangrove Forest biosphere reserve.

While appreciating the cooperation and presence of the members of the National Commission of UNESCO and ICOM of Iran, he added that the most important and influential factor in this program is the widespread participation of the local community, especially the children of the villages and towns of Qeshm Island.

At this event, Ali Puzan, the CEO of the Guran Rural Development Cooperative Company, Seyed Mohammad Dakhteh, Director of the Environment Department, Sajad

Eshgarf, Director of Qeshm Island UNESCO Global Geopark, Abdolreza Dashtizadeh, Director of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization and Mir Seyed Ahmad Mohit Tabatabai, Secretary of the National Committee of Iranian Museums (ICOM) and a group of officials presented a speech and gave awards and plaques to the children who participated in the program. In the continuation of the ceremony, 1,800 mangrove plants were planted, and at the end, the Geopark assistants and tourism and environmental activists of the island were honored.

It should be noted that the historical port of Guran has been one of the oldest ports on Qeshm Island for mooring and repairing ships in the past years. The existence of mangrove forests and the bay shape of this area has acted as a natural breakwater and made this place suitable for turning into a port.

The launch-making industry has been the profession of the people of Guran for many years, but now with the ideation of the local people and the cooperation of Qeshm Free Zone Area and JICA, this place has become the first outdoor museum park of launch-making and wooden floats in Iran to introduce this art to Iranian and people worldwide and help preserve and revive the world’s largest handicraft industry.

The project to revive the traditional sustainable methods of Sarzur Zuma began a few years ago with the efforts of the people of Guran village and members of the Guran Rural Development Cooperative Company and with the participation of Qeshm Free Zone Area and environmentalists.

This project is based on the protection and reasonable exploitation of the environment and natural resources.

In the local dialect, the confluence of three water flows that ends in a small island of mangrove forests is called Sarzur Zuma. This area is located close to the Guran port. This island has turned from a sharp point to a semi-circle at one end due to the pressure caused by water currents in recent years, and this transplantation event was designed and implemented to plant mangrove to strengthen the soil and mud of this area against water erosion.