The Rural Urban Partnership for Africa (RUPFA), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) which focuses on the environment, has organized a sensitization workshop for students of the Adeiso Presbyterian Senior High School, on forest conservation and its related effects on the environment.

The sensitization exercise was to encourage the students to become ambassadors, to help educate their communities on the need to protect the environment and forest reserves.

Mr Richard Ashalley, Director of RUPFA observed that the rate at which the forest was depleting was worrying, and said statistics had revealed that farming contributes to 50 percent to our forest destruction, as well as logging of trees, which contributes 35 percent, with urbanization development ,mining activities, pest infestation of the forest and bush fire activities also contributing.

Mr Ashalley called for the promotion of the culture of replenishing the forest by planting trees and the need to reinforce the laws on illegal tree felling.

He urged all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to engage in greening to ensure that they planted a certain number of trees every year to enhance the green nature of the environment.

Mr Blessing Appia Agyei, of the Forestry Commission, charged each and every one to be agents of change to protect the environment and forest reserve, adding that, the forest brought much benefits, provided resources for human shelter, and also medicinal plants for human use.

Mr Bismark Anyane Gyau, Headmaster of the school, said they would form an environmental club and champion the growing of trees in the school and the community.

RUPFA, as part of its campaign, would plant 1, 000 trees in the school, and has since 2012 planted close to 8,000 trees nationwide.