BY EPHREM ANDARGACHEW
If a community well nurtures children who are going to take over their country with its future, unquestionably it will lay unwavering foundation in all aspects. The case of tree seedlings plantation is not exceptional in this regard. If this is so, what would be the response for the question ‘Does planting trees concern children? The answer is an outright yes, because it is they who will be responsible for their country in the future in all aspects including national greening.
Experts in the field of forestry explain that planting trees is important to mitigate desertification, but they argue that it is not enough without children’s participation. Hence, along with planting trees, it is also important to raise awareness through different mechanisms. Accordingly, the best way to inspire a love for nature is to start teaching it at a young age. By having students learn every aspect of tree planting and care, from picking a species to putting it in the ground and everything on the way, it would be possible to inculcate all the good in their mind towards nature.
In the era of global warming followed by the dwindling of ozone layer due to lack of green ecology, planting of trees to replenish the besmirched part of the planet has become an incomparable weapon. However, the idea of planting tree seedlings has been insufficiently understood and often disregarded among the community even though it has been an essential and does have a significant share of human settlements.
Researches recommend that instilling environmental awareness in very young children represents can be a golden opportunity for environmental preservation and rescuing the dilapidated part of the universe as they will take over the earth with its future. Planting seeding has been known for its immense contribution to the safety of urban landscape and to provide people with suitable benefits. Cognizant of the fact that nurturing nature and intensifying environment protection is of paramount importance in laying the foundation for every growth and prosperity, Ethiopia has been eyeing at planting tree seedlings to install the essence of green legacy in the minds of its children.
Following the reform set in on April 2, 2018, planting tree seedlings has been becoming a culture as voluntarism for it and other pivotal deeds is taken as the policy of the government. The reformist government has given planting tree as one of its priority for the national development. It has also capitalized to make planting tree seedlings the concern of every citizen of the nation.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Ph.D.) explained that green legacy is the concern of everybody regardless of age, gender, religion, political view, social status and the likes. Henceforth, religious fathers with their followers, political party leaders with their supporters and fans putting ideological and political differences aside, youths and elderly people have been intensively taking part in tree plantation programs. Likewise, teachers and students have been widely observed planting tree seedlings on places made readied for the intended target.
Ethiopian Biodiversity institute Forest and Rangeland Plants researcher Sisay Alemu told The Ethiopian Herald that teaching children how to planting trees is very important and should be given to them every time within and without classroom environments since at early days or during childhood children have the ability to identify their surroundings. This time it is easy for them to know what is indigenous and what is not. For instances, there are trees which could be used as food, medication, wood products, beatifying purpose and so on. When children learn the love of planting tree seedlings, it would be possible for them to protect and keep those plants that are found in their surroundings.
Christopher and M. Balanac in their academic article published on Journal of Sustainability Education, under the title of “Students’ Participation in Tree Planting Activity: Promoting the 21st Century Environmental Education,” stated that teaching planting tree seedlings for children is very imperative. They learn how to plant and care for a garden. In such a way, they can understand why people practice such a sacred activity and continue doing so. By teaching secondary school students well about green legacy, making environmental advocators could be and it will spillovers to their juniors and small kinds in pre-school centers.
Scholars such as Cohen and Wilson and Judson also noted that teaching children via different mechanizes is important to mitigate deforestation. For instances, taking the time to plan games, to take nature walks, to help them develop a sense of rootedness with select spaces and to encourage the adventure of exploration in Nature can all be significant learning activities that may very well impact on children for the rest of their life.
Taking these facts into consideration, the government of Ethiopian, particularly the Addis Ababa City Administration started giving a chance to children to participate in green legacy activities. The city administration Deputy Mayor Adanech Abebe said making green and conducive the surrounding through planting trees is one of the priority tasks of this summer. Hence, the government has lunched summer volunteerism services which allow everybody including children to take part in the green legacy activities. Since children are the hope of this country, it is important to inform them how planting trees is important for the current and coming generation.
Ethiopian Environment, Forest and Climate Change Commission, Commissioner Professor Fekadu Beyene Aleka also explained that it is important to open the room for all citizens, particularly for children and the youth to participate in the green legacy volunteerism services because it would help them realize the significant of planting tree seedlings. It is clear that planting tree seeding significantly contributes to the effort geared towards increasing agriculture production, generating adequate water supply, buttressing biodiversity development and conservation, ecological services, job creation, forestry and others related works. Education Minister, Engineer Getahun Mekuria (Ph.D) said, “The participation of kids and the youth in the green legacy makes planting tree seedlings fruitful since they are the one who keeps and conserve the forest resources of the nation in the year to come.
Addis Ababa youth Association deputy president Tekeste Ayalew told local media that this year voluntarism service programs are different from that of other years since these programs are well comprehensive ones. Yes, people can indiscriminately participate in the programs so long as they show keen interest and voluntary gesture to do so.
Yohannes Abebe, a teenager from Addis Ababa, told The Ethiopian Herald that “I am so happy since I put my green legacy this year. Planting tree is a great job to children to have splendid landscape, to get enough oxygen and a mesmerizing country. Hence, this voluntarism program must continue not only on planting trees but also to further protect and watering the seedlings.”
Another teenager, Meseret Lemma said, “As I learned in my General Science lesson, planting tree seedlings gives many benefits. When we come here to plant trees, we have got a chance to know each other with other students who came from different schools apart from covering our country with green blanket. This would help us in the future to build unity and togetherness for our country.” Michael Goitom, a student said that the effort of the government to include children in this green legacy program deserves appreciation, albeit there are children that do not get access to planting trees. Hence, the concerned body must create conducive situation for those children who want to plant trees at the vicinity of their residences.
Entoto Mariam Primary School Principal, Workisa Kasahun said that showing and teaching children how to planting trees would help create a committed, responsible, civic minded generation. Moreover, he said the program inspires them for loving their nation and worrying about the damage of natural resources. Doctor Engineer Getahun Mekuria said more than 27 million students and about 700,000 teachers across the country will take part in the plan.
The Ethiopian Herald July 11/2021
