Communities, schools urged to plant trees

The National National

COMMUNITIES and schools in East New Britain (ENB) must take heed of the culture of planting trees and not the culture of cutting down trees without planting, says the team leader of a reforestation project.
Australian Dr Tony Page, team leader for the reforestation project in ENB and the country, said this was the third phase of the project that started in 2009.
In the first two phases, more than 75,000 trees were supplied to schools and communities in the province.
Dr Page said the project was carried out and implemented by a number of partners but it was a project partnership between the PNG and Australian governments.
“This project is partnering with stakeholders and organisations like:

  • ORGANISATION for Industrial Spiritual and Cultural Agency;
  • PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment;
  • NATIONAL and provincial forest authority; and,
  • PUBLIC Investment Project.

Dr Page said they had tested out priority species like malas, ton, kumurere, galip and kumurere log trees but the new phase now was focused on tik tree.
“This particular log tree (tik) will be mainly focused in ENB, and the main objective of the project is for families to build their houses,” he said.