Let’s plant a tree, secure our future

TODAY is National Tree Planting Day, a day set aside to enlighten the nation on the importance of trees, forests and woodland resources.

Through various events, the nation is motivated to plant and conserve trees to enhance biodiversity; to enhance household food security and to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

With the rains upon us, we are ready for extensive tree planting and Forestry Commission encourages people to plant at the onset of the season so that the trees planted get maximum benefit from the natural moisture and establish well during the season.

The Presidential Tree Planting Day will be held on December 5, at State House but today, commemorations will proceed across all provinces under the theme “Fruit Trees For Food Security And Nutrition.”

Diary of Provincial Tree Planting Commemorations to be held today. ◆ Mashonaland West held its provincial commemorations at Sandringham High School on November 29. The event saw the launch of a Joint Glow Petroleum and Forestry Commission Schools Tree Planting programme which will see forty schools receiving seedlings to establish orchards and wood-lots during this season. The event was officiated By the Minister of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Hon, Prisca Mupfumira with the Minister of State For Provincial affairs ( Mashonaland West), Hon Mary Mliswa in attendance. ◆ Mashonaland Central — Matare

Village, Bindura District ◆ Mashonaland East — Dombodzvuku School, Murehwa Distrct ◆ Harare Metropolitan — EpworthChiremba Balancing Rocks ◆ Manicaland — Marange High

School, Mutare District ◆ Midlands — Rio Tinto Secondary

School, Zibagwe District ◆ Masvingo — Musiso Hospital

Zaka , Ward 9 ◆ Matabeleland South — Nkashe Secondary School, Gwanda District ◆ Bulawayo Metropolitan — Mgombane School ◆ Matabeleland North — Siabuwa High School will host the provincial tree planting as part of events of the Friends of the Environment Four-day “Walk for Trees” from Cross-Dete to Binga. The event will also see the unveiling of a tree seedling nursery sponsored by Old Mutual under the Friends of the Environment banner. What You Can Do To Contribute to the Tree Planting Campaign this

season Establish nurseries and raise seedlings for your own and your community needs. (Learn how to grow your trees from seed)

Set aside pieces of land and establish wood-lots. (this is especially important now with the energy challenges facing the country where firewood has become a readily available alternative to electricity in urban areas. We need to have our own wood-lots to harvest from and not cut down indigenous forests).

Plant a tree on National Tree Planting Day and throughout the tree planting season.

Replace all trees that you cut down (There are instances when it’s necessary to cut down a tree for example when the trees pose a danger to human life or infrastructure). Just remember — Cut one, Plant ten.

Tree Planting is Everyone’s Responsibility —Plant Yours Today