The county government of Embu is planning to incorporate more than 30,000 students, mostly from the scout movement in schools, in a tree planting campaign to support the government’s plan of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.
Governor Cecily Mbarire said she plans to work with girl guides and scouts across the country and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to implement the project which will see one million trees planted annually.
She stressed on the need to incorporate children and young people, notably from primary and secondary schools, in the programme.
“Drought has ravaged many parts of Embu County. Unless we come together to plant millions of trees, we shall experience continue to experience some of the worst effects of climate change,” said Mbarire.
She expressed concern that the rate of tree planting was significantly lower compared to the rate at which trees are cut.
“My government will set aside a budget to cater for tree planting exercises in order to meet the yearly tree planting target,” she said, further challenging other organizations including the private sector to chip in.
She added that the tree seedlings will be purchased from small groups so as to support them financially.
Since the present subscription in the scout movement is 30,000, each scout is to plant at least 40 trees multiplying to up to 1.2 million trees hence achieving the county’s tree planting target.
Tree planting campaigns have been going on the County though at a slow pace with the Rainforest Alliance leading the way by mobilizing various groups of young people to value the need of taking care of the environment by planting trees.
By Robert Nyagah
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