A 30 mn year old petrified forest 30 km outside of Cairo has received long sought after government protection, according to Arab News. The seven sqm area, known as Gabal Al Khashab, was declared a protectorate back in 1989 for the tree and animal fossils it houses, as well as the thriving ecosystem of rare plants and animals. The order was never fully enforced until a group named Narges Volunteers presented their plan for its protection to the House of Representatives and put the first phase into action last Saturday at a cost of under USD 500k.