Regional News of Tuesday, 25 May 2010

Source: GNA

Environmental NGO plants 600 seedlings

Apromase (Ash), May 25, GNA - 'Trees for the Future, Ghana", an environmental NGO, has launched a massive tree planting exercise at Apromase in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality. It has so far planted more than 600 tree seedlings including "cidrella", "cassia-seamea" "glirecedia", "albizea" and "moringa." Mr Lovans Owusu-Takyi, Programmes Coordinator of the NGO, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that some of the trees had high medicinal value, while others were for ornamental purpose. Additionally, some restore lost soil nutrients. Mr Owusu-Takyi said the expectation was that in the long term there would be improved soil fertility to increase crop yield. He raised concern about the continued deterioration of the environment through bad farming practices, illegal chainsaw and greenhouse emissions. He said the organization was collaborating with the Kumasi Institute of Tropical Agriculture to plant over 500,000 tree seedlings nationwide to improve the eco-system and bio-diversity. Mr Owusu-Takyi spoke about the need for all the people to accept responsibility for the protection of the environment to sustain life. 25 May 10