The Charyn ash forest is a haven for birds and other wildlife in the arid steppes of this corner of Kazakhstan. This is one of the last remnants of a great forest which once stretched along the foothills of the Tien Shan mountains after the last Ice Age. This woodland has survived in a narrow,sheltered canyon along a twenty-five kilometre stretch of the Charyn river. This is the last place in Central Asia -- and one of the few places in the world -- which still supports a large population of the endangered Sogdian ash tree. The Sogdian ash, named after the ancient Zoroastrian kingdom defeated here by Alexander the Great, grows up to thirty metres high and can live as long as three hundred years. But the use of the Charyn river for irrigation has lowered water levels in recent years, threatening the
survival of this forest and its ash trees.

The project is directed on restoration of the ashen wood on the territory of Charyn ash nature sanctuary. During the project implementation a number of hydrological, forest rehabilitation and fire-prevention actions will be carried out. Conditions of growth and duplication of the ash-trees on the project territory will be improved due to water inflow from the channel. Thus long-term conditions for partial restoration of the ashen wood will be created. Methods of artificial restoration of the ash-trees will be tested:cultivation of the seedlings on the nursery territory and planting trees on the territory where the forest have been cut down. The buffer zone will be created. Nature protection activity of the local authorities, nature protecting departments and local community will stir up, the ecological consciousness of inhabitants and schoolchildren will amplify. The organization of the ecological track, the evident information, excursions will allow put ecological tourism in pawn basis.
Attendance of the ashen wood will increase, the volume of services given to tourists will extend, the local residents will receive additional earnings. Political, information and material bases of long-term and steady functioning of a nature sanctuary will be improved.