"Actually there is no space in downtown Beijing for citizens to plant trees; besides, it is important to take good care of current green spaces," said Wang Sumei, vice director of Capital Forestation Commission, at the opening ceremony of Beijing Green Home Project 2007 on March 27.
That day, quite a lot of citizens "adopted" green spaces near their homes. Jin, who lives near Beijing Huangchenggen Site Park, has "adopted" a pine tree in the park. "I love pine trees, and I am glad that I can contribute to the building of a greener and cleaner Beijing," said Jin.
All the green spaces or greenbelts in downtown and suburban Beijing, including forests in scenic spots, can be "adopted" for 1 to 3 years. Every year, each of the "adoptive parents" will have to provide living expenses of at least 6.5 yuan for every sq m of green space, 30 yuan for a deciduous tree, and 50 yuan for an evergreen tree.
Statistics show that more than 400 organizations and 1,166 citizens are providing for green spaces in Beijing, with a total of nearly 100 million yuan. The forestation rate of Beijing is 42%, averaging 12 sq m of green spaces per capita.
