Winneba, June 03, GNA - The Winneba District Forestry Services Division of the Forestry Commission has held a day's workshop for 100 participants from 22 communities in the Bawjiase area. The communities are around the five Globally Significant Biodiversity Areas in the South Dry Area near Bawjiase. The workshop, which was attended by farmers, landowners and chiefs, was aimed at introducing nursery establishment techniques, records keeping and community participation in Biodiversity Area management to participants.

Mr Peter Osei-Owusu of the Resource Management Supports Centre of the Forestry Commission in Kumasi said the conservation of the five forest reserves are of great importance to the government. The reserves are Akrabong, Obotumfo, Ahirasu One and Ahirasu Two and Abasaba.

He said protecting the reserve was not the sole responsibility of officials of the Forestry Service Division but a collective responsibility of both the people and the forestry staff. Mr Richard Gyese-Amoako, the Winneba District Manager of the Forestry Service Division, said the division had started a trees planting programme around four of the reserves to prevent fire from entering them.

He said members of the Community Biodiversity Association (CEBA) had walled the Ayiresu One reserve with trees as a pilot project. Mr Gyese-Amoako appealed to the chiefs to support and to assist CEBA to enable it to perform creditably. Neenyi Tsupu, the chief of Akrabong, assured the forestry officials that traditional rulers would organize communal labour to weed around the reserves.