International Day of Forests Activities
Yesterday 21st March was recognized as “International Day of Forests”under the theme “Forest and Health”. In keeping with the theme and celebrations of this special day, the Forestry Unit held a hike and tree planting event in the Body Pond area.
Their invited guests were Miss Sandra Joseph, Permanent Secretary, and other staff members from several sections within the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). Special inviteeswere education officers from CARDI, ABS, the Ministry of Education (MOE), Primary/Secondary teachers, students, and the Registrar and staff members of the Antigua Civil Registry.
The MOA staff were introduced while on the bus while enroute by Camellia Tonge, Forestry Assistant. At the location everyone was addressed by Adriel Thibou, Senior Forestry Officer and by Tonge.It was decided that the “Byam Hill” area would beutilized for the “tree planting” exercise but in two different sections.
The first section was allotted to the MOE, officers, teachers, and students. They were given twenty-five mango seedlings for their area while the remaining participants took an intense climb to the top of the hill to an area where seventy-five coconut trees were planted. In less than an hour one hundred trees were planted. These plants will be taken care of by the forestry staff. Two of the species were chosen primarily because of the mutualistic relationships they share with bats and other wildlife in the area.