By Sellaphine Banda
The Lilongwe based to Wildlife and Natural Resources Conservation and Rehabilitation Trust (WNRCRT), together with the Lilongwe City Council, United Religious Initiatives (URI) and Chinsapo Youth Network, on Saturday 7, June 2024 joined hands in conducting the post tree planting activities which included weeding, mulching and making of fire breaks as a way of taking a good care of the trees which were planted during the 2023/2024 tree planting season.
The exercise was a follow up to the 6000 trees planted in January 2024, along the Lingadzi River Catchment in efforts to conserve the river system which is facing numerous environmental challenges accelerated by human activities.
Speaking during the event, WNRCRT Director of Natural Resources Conservation, Emmanuel Phiri said that the organization was pleased to see that out of the 6000 trees planted during the season, 4094 have survived representing a 68.2% rate of survival, despite experience a difficult rainfall season.
“We have come here to appreciate how the trees we planted in January are doing and we thought it wise to come with the stakeholders so that we can take care of the tree that have survived as we think about replacing those that have died in the near future while also extending the area to be covered” Phiri said.
He further encouraged other players in sector to desist from only planting trees without making proper follow ups on their survival and protection.
In his remarks Lilongwe City Council Chief Environmental Management Officer, Godfrey Kalenga said the council is grateful for the intervention which is rare as most organization only appear during the time of planting the trees without any follow ups.
“We are thankful for the support from WNRCRT towards our efforts to restore the degrading ecosystem by taking care of the planted trees and we hope this will help in achieving our goals of conserving the environment within along the river system,” Kalenga said.
He further appreciate the seriousness demonstrate by WNRCRT and all the stakeholders involved in organizing the monitoring exercise which maust be also an example to individuals and other organization who only plant trees without giving them the necessary care.
Commenting on the development one of the locals who took part in the exercise, Maria Njiwa said she is happy to see health tree growing in the area and is looking forward to seeing the vegetative cover restored.
She encouraged other community members to stop fighting against nature through careless cutting down of tree, sand mining, brick making and cultivating along the river bank bu rather take part in planting trees and taking good care of them.
The exercise was financial support from the Australian Embassy under the Harare Direct Aid Program (DAP).
