The story of how an ecosystem grew on the site of a rubbish dump, protecting a village from the wind and giving honey
On the outskirts of the village of Novomykolaivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, there is a place that just a year ago no one would have thought to call beautiful. A spontaneous rubbish dump that had grown for decades on the roadside. Plastic, construction waste, empty canisters — everything you wanted to turn away from as quickly as possible.
Today the leaves of young lindens and bird cherry rustle here, apple trees bloom, and the air is filled with the aroma of rowan. More than five hundred trees formed the “Honey Shelterbelt of Life” — a project that united farmers, volunteers, scientists and local residents around one simple idea: if we take something from the land, we must give it back its life.
When the land demands an answer
«I have loved planting since childhood. Others get tired, but I, on the contrary, take pleasure in planting, digging and weeding. We are agricultural producers — periodically we have to clear shelterbelts when overgrown plots hinder the cultivation of a field. And still you understand that you are taking something from the land. So I chose this principle for myself: however much you cut down, that much you must plant», — says Alina Skrypnyk, director of Sura Agro LLC.
The farm regularly planted trees — sometimes apple trees, sometimes something else. But there was no large-scale transformation until Alina learned about the “Shelterbelts of Life” project of the Pelican.live charitable foundation.
«I saw this project and realised — this is ours! They have been working for several years now, usually with territorial communities or institutes. And here I saw that farmers could apply too. We submitted an application — and we were chosen».
In the spring of 2024, preparations began for what would later become one of the region’s brightest environmental initiatives.
The battle for permission and land
The first problem turned out to be unexpected — bureaucratic. On one side there is a field, on the other — a protective belt of trees. But all such plots are usually owned by the state or the community.
«The problem was precisely with the plot, — explains Alina. — We wrote a request to the territorial community to give permission for planting. I am very grateful to the Sursko-Lytovska community — they quickly considered the application, gave permission for the improvement works, and then even came to help plant».
Under the terms of the project, the farm takes the trees onto its balance sheet and undertakes to care for them — to water, mow around and maintain them. For Sura Agro LLC this was not a problem — they had planned to look after the plantings anyway.
When the permission was finally obtained, the team faced a second problem — a physical one.
The rubbish dump that had to be defeated
«We had to remove the rubbish from the plot, — recalls Alina. — We were not afraid, we were ready for it. But we did a grand job. After all, people had been dumping and pouring rubbish there for decades».
The dump was located not directly on the planting plot, but next to it. But it was necessary to clear it so that the shelterbelt could later be properly maintained — mowing the grass, watering the young trees, approaching from all sides.
The farm’s excavator worked for three days to gather the rubbish into a pile. Three workers, the farm owners and their children collected bags and paper over almost 1 hectare. It took several days of hard work, but the result was impressive: in place of the waste, land appeared that was ready to receive new life.
After clearing, soil preparation began. The plot was ploughed, disced several times, and a whole set of soil-cultivation operations was carried out. The area of the future shelterbelt is about 150 metres long — a five-row belt with four-metre spacing between rows. This is almost fifty ares of a living ecosystem.
The search for regionalised trees
The next challenge was purchasing the saplings. It might seem a simple matter — find trees and buy them. But that is only at first glance.
«It was hard to find lindens, — says Alina. — The little trees have to be regionalised. You can buy them from other regions of Ukraine, but they will take root worse. The soils and climate need to be roughly the same. We had to buy from three forestry enterprises — a hundred lindens from each».
Regionalised saplings are not just a formality. Trees grown in similar climatic conditions adapt much better, grow faster and are more resistant to local weather conditions.
In addition to lindens, apple trees, rowan and bird cherry were planted — all honey plants. This was a conscious choice.
«We were offered oaks, — says Alina. — We really wanted them. But still we asked to plant honey plants. We have bees, and many in the village do too. Now birds and bees will benefit from this shelterbelt, and we — honey».
In total, more than five hundred trees were planted. The logistics turned out to be complicated: the saplings had to be dug up the day before planting so that they were fresh. And on top of that, it started to rain. But the team managed.
Planting day: when the village came alive
4 April 2025 became a day that all the participants remembered. They expected 20–30 people — as many as the organisers thought were needed for such an area. Twice as many came.
«People came by themselves, — Alina smiles. — They took shovels and joined in. They saw that trees were being planted, that people had gathered — and came of their own accord. Right now in our region there are no initiatives at all that would bring people together. And here they saw — and came».
Among the participants were farm workers, employees of the charitable foundation, scientists from the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, representatives of the executive committee of the Sursko-Lytovska community, and staff of the library and house of culture. Volunteers came from other cities.
Children planted trees alongside adults. Some dug holes, some brought the saplings, some watered. The work went quickly — not because everything was perfectly organised, but also because people worked with inspiration. And so the shelterbelt began its life.
An ecosystem that works by itself
The special feature of the project lies not only in the number of trees, but in the approach to choosing and arranging them. The “Honey Shelterbelt” is not an artificial planting but a living ecosystem that reinforces natural processes.
Lindens, apple trees, rowan and bird cherry create a forage base for bees and wild pollinators. This supports the natural cycles of plant reproduction not only in the shelterbelt but also in the adjacent fields. Fallen leaves, humus and the activity of earthworms and microorganisms gradually restore fertility. The young trees already absorb carbon dioxide, reducing emissions and improving air quality. Every year their capacity to accumulate carbon will grow. On the farm, a system for collecting rainwater from the roofs of the production buildings was introduced. This water is used to water the shelterbelt. The trees themselves retain moisture in the soil, reduce runoff and erosion and increase the humidity of the microclimate. Birds, insects and small mammals that settle in the shelterbelt control the number of pests in the fields.
A climate that can be changed
The Sura Agro farm is located on the outskirts of the village, on a slight elevation. When the trees grow up, they will create a natural barrier that will protect both the farm itself and the village from the wind.
«The shelterbelt will shield the village from the wind, — explains Alina. — A professor from the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences visited us. He told us that, for example, in England farmers plant shelterbelts around the perimeter of a farm. It saves on heat in winter — it is warmer, cosier. Plus it conserves moisture — it is retained».
The shelterbelt is located along a field where different crops are grown every year — maize, sunflower, wheat. The trees will protect the crops from the wind, conserve moisture and give additional warmth in winter.
This is not abstract theory. Amid the growing drought that has become the norm for the Dnipropetrovsk region, every percent of conserved moisture means a harvest, food security, the possibility to keep farming.
Money, effort and partnership
The “Honey Shelterbelt” was implemented as part of the “Shelterbelts of Life” project of the Pelican.live charitable foundation with the financial support of ING Bank Ukraine. The total cost is more than 200,000 hryvnias. The foundation paid for purchasing the saplings, the rainwater-collection tanks, part of the preparatory works and the organisational costs.
«The charitable foundation financed everything, — says Alina. — I collected the invoices. There were some small costs on our side — we bought some potted plants because there were no saplings. We prepared outdoor furniture for the participants’ lunch. In total, about 50,000 hryvnias.»
The farm took on the soil preparation, logistics and organisation of the planting day. The local community helped with the permits and delegated representatives to the event. And the volunteers contributed the most — their time, effort and enthusiasm.
What next?
The next few years are critical. The trees will strengthen their roots, gain height and form their crowns. In five years the shelterbelt will become a real green barrier. In ten — a fully-fledged ecosystem with dense shade, an abundance of birds and insects, and a stable microclimate.
The farm plans to develop honey production. There is an idea to create a small recreation area for the village residents — benches under the trees, walking paths. Perhaps an educational site for children, where they will be told about ecology and the importance of trees.
And for now — daily work. Watering, mowing, observing the growth. This is not a heroic feat but ordinary routine. But it is precisely from such small daily actions that the future is born.
«This is now the most important thing — to think about the future, — says Alina. I see — the foundation has again announced the creation of new shelterbelts. And that is wonderful, because the least we can do for the future of our children is to plant a tree».