The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in collaboration with the Forestry Commission, has supported a project team of the Lancaster University Ghana to undertake a tree-planting exercise in Accra.

The planting took place at the O’Reilly Senior High School (SHS) in Teshie-Okpoi Gonno, in the Greater Accra Region.

The project is to encourage the youth to appreciate the importance of tree planting to the sustenance of the environment and life.

It is also in line with this year’s sixth Forestry Week and Greening Ghana Day, which is being dedicated to tree planting and promoting awareness on the importance of forests and trees in our lives.

Ms Elsie Kyere, the Project Manager of Project Team Checkmate from Lancaster University Ghana, said the six-member team chose the tree planting project because it wanted to draw attention and help tackle the sustainable development goal 11, which talked about climate action.

She said the idea was to educate the society about the importance of trees to the country.

She said the planting of more trees would help in the control of the effects of the green-house gases.

Ms Kyere said the Team through its project 1,000 Greens was seeking to sensitise the public about tree planting.

She suggested to government to adopt a national tree-planting day in the year in which at least 100 trees would be planted in each of the 10 regions.

“Once the suggestion for a national tree planting day is adopted it means that each year there will be 1,000 trees planted in Ghana,” Ms Kyere said.

She lauded the encouragement and support received from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission as well as the management of Oreilly SHS since the Team presented its project charter.

Mrs Joyce Kwafo Ofori of the Corporate Affairs and Media Relations of the Ministry, said the Minister took so much interest in the project of the students and directed the Forestry Commission to support them undertake the project.

She said the Tema District Office of the Forestry Commission would follow up and ensure that the trees planted at O’Reilly SHS were nurtured to grow.

She said the Forestry Commission was ready and looking forward to having such programmes with the youth to inculcate into them the habit of planting trees.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in collaboration with the Forestry Commission and other stakeholders will celebrate the 6th Forestry Week and Greening Ghana Day 2017 from June 13 to 14.

This year’s programme will be dedicated to tree planting and promoting awareness on the importance of forests and trees in our lives.

The theme for the celebration is: “Forests and Energy: Implications for Ghana.”

Activities earmarked for the celebration are launch and Grand Durbar of the Week and Greening Ghana Day Celebration 2017, on June, 13 at the Gbi-Bla Roman Catholic School Park, Hohoe in the Volta Region and tree planting exercise along the Banks of River Dayi, Hohoe, on 14th June, 2017, at 7.30am.