EPA, national service personnel embark on tree planting project

National Service Personnel of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), embarked on a tree planting exercise. The project carried out on the newly constructed Awoshie-Pokuase road is part of efforts by the 2015/2016 service personnel in combating climate change.

This project was originally started by their predecessors, which saw them plant trees along the 15km road that was opened in the Ga West District of the Greater Accra Region. However, they were only able to cover 7km leaving 8km stretch. The current NSS Personnel group therefore completed the remaining stretch on the 11th of May 2016. 600 seedlings of Terminalia Mantaly were planted with a 15 metre spacing to enable free mature canopy spread of the trees. Service personnels were grouped from the Agency’s Head office and district offices, to embark on the project.

According to the Mr Fiifi Aggrey-Sey, President of the service personnels at the Agency, it was important to complete the road stretch which would combat climate change by absorbing excess carbon dioxide emitted as a result of anthropogenic activities such as burning of fuels in cars. He further went on to talk about the importance of trees, which help in reducing the amount and rate at which rain water strikes the ground thus reducing erosion and storm water management cost. He said it is imperative to find ways of cooling the earth and making life healthy for living organism. It is in this view that he pleaded with the general public to come on board and plant more trees to green our cities. He also expressed his appreciation to the management of the Agency for giving service personnels the platform to embark on this project with support from the Forestry Commission, Blue Skies Drinks, African Investment Ltd and SBC Beverages Ghana for assisting at different levels of this project.

Mr Fiifi Aggrey-Sey demonstrating how to mould a wire mesh used to protect the new seedlings

Some Service personnel posing for a group picture after the project