Members of the Association of Wood Re-exporters and Forest Users in The Gambia, in collaboration with the Forestry Department, at the weekend embarked on a maintenance work on the seedlings that were planted by the association in 2010, along the airport highway.
The exercise, which attracted over one hundred members of mainly youths, was coordinated by the chairman of the wood re-exporters, Lamin Barrow.
Speaking at the end of the exercise, chairman Barrow thanked the members for their active participation in the upkeep of the plants.
According to him, the association was established some two years ago with the aim of contributing their quota towards national development through the Ministry of Forestry and the Environment.
Mr Barrow also stressed on the importance of maintaining regular work on the planted trees, which is all geared towards ensuring the sustainability of the planted seedling.
He added that last year his association planted over one thousand and five seedlings along the airport highway, which they want to survive and blossom.
“So based on that we deemed it fitting to put mechanisms in place to protect the seedlings by fencing its surrounding to avoid the destruction of animals,” he said.
According to Mr Barrow, his association felt that decorating the airport highway for tourist attraction and other important guests that are coming to the country is very important for The Gambia.
He added that the exercise is in fulfillment of the president’s advice on the need to plant a tree by every patriotic citizen.
He used the opportunity to urge members to desist from illegal activities and be law abiding at all times.
Sambou Nget, a senior forestry officer at the Department of Forestry, hailed the association of the wood re-exporters through the chairmanship of Lamin Barrow for the initiative.
He described the exercise as geared towards national development in the sense that protecting the forest cover is key to the socio-economic development of the country.
“The mandate of the forestry department is to protect the forest cover,” he said, adding: “Therefore seeing this association engaging in the restoration of our forest cover, they really deserve to be commended.”
He encouraged the people to continue the good work as the department of forestry is always willing and ready to work with development partners in the best interest of the country.
For his part, Mary Touray a female member of the association, thanked the chairman and the entire members of the association for making the exercise a reality and successful.
The vice chairman of the association, Babucarr Jammeh, was full of joy and appreciation at the turnout of the youths at the exercise.