By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City.
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) said it plans to plant 10,000 trees in Edo, aimed at restoring the ecosystem in the state.
Mrs Edosa Esosa, the Edo coordinator NCF stated during the tree planting exercise at St Maria Gorretti Girls Grammar School and Idogbo Junior Secondary School in Benin, Edo, on Friday.
Esosa said the tree planting exercise is to save the school environment adding it is In collaboration with the Edebiri family in honour of their late mother Omo’Oba Mary Mojisola Edebiri (Nee Awolesi).
“The idea to plant trees in schools is to provide the much needed shade and cooling, as well as creating a more pleasant and friendly environment for the school children to play.
“The tree planting exercise is to spread across the public schools in Edo. Today we are planting 50 trees at St Maria Gorretti with another 50 trees at Idogbo school
“Our aim is to ensure we plant trees in all public schools in Edo”, she said.
Esosa noted that the trees planted on school ground would also provide opportunities for environmental education, as well as getting young children to think about environmental conservation early.
Th Edo NCF coordinator disclosed that the foundation would establish a conservation club for school children to nuture them on the important of tree planting, nature conservation and biodiversity resource.
The Chairman of Grassroot Consultative Committee, Edo Forest Reserve, Mr Monday Iyayomwangbe said 5000 of Khayar seedlings and another 5000 Senegelisis seedlings to be planted in the state.
According to him, the species of the two seedlings would help to regenerate and protect the ecosystem of the state.
“The benefits of tree planting cannot be over emphasis, part from the beautification of the environment, it helps develop plantations, as well as wind breakers to protect both residential, industrial and public structures.
“When we plant trees, it cools the environment, absorbs greenhouse gases, increase humidity and aesthetic beauty, provides food and improve wildlife habitat and the ecosystem,” he said.
He, however, called on organisations and well-meaning individuals in the state to collaborate with the government and NCF in combating climate change through tree planting and sensitisation against tree felling.
NCF, an environmental Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Nigeria, is dedicated to nature conservation and biodiversity resource management.
The foundation over the past four decades have been in the forefront of securing a better future for nature conservation and sustainable livelihoods for people and wildlife resources in Nigeria