By Maimuna Sey-Jawo
The recent spate of tree planting initiatives in the country is showing no sign of deceleration with more than 500,000 mangrove seedlings planted at Jataba River site in LRR.
The exercise followed a planting initiative in Foni by the Bullock Kapongha Youth Development Association last week.
The Jataba planting was organised by the All Gambia Forestry Platform, in collaboration with the communities of Nyoro Jataba village in LRR.
They were supported by the Nema-Chosso project, under the Ministry of Agriculture.
Speaking shortly after the exercise, Ebrima Camara, coordinator of All Gambia Forestry Platform, said the initiative targets to restore fifty hectare of land within four communities – Bantanjang, Kalagi, and Jonere in West Coast Region and Jataba in LRR.
He emphasised the importance of restoring mangroves to the environment, saying it has lots of benefits such as preventing salt intrusion, sea erosion, and other domestic purposes.
He used the platform to urge the community of Nyoro Jataba to take ownership of the initiative and challenged them to ensure its sustainability.
The president of All Gambia Forestry Platform, Saikou Janko, said the planting was necessary because our natural resources are on the verge of being extinct.
President Janko said the platform will remain committed to the crusade to restore “our lost forest cover”.
Ebrima Jallow, the president of National Livestock Owners Association, welcomed the idea, and said it will go a long way in supporting communities.
He said restoration of forest cover requires collective effort.
