Forestry Commission kicks-off International Day of Forests celebration with Quiz Competition

The Forestry Commission has kicked off the celebration of the International Day of Forests with an inter-school quiz competition aimed at testing the knowledge of the students on forestry issues.

The competing schools were Anumele Basic School, Nii Okine, Aggrey, and Sackey Odoi Basic Schools.

In an address before the start of the competition, Benito Owusu-Bio, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources said for many years the global celebration had created awareness worldwide about the importance of forests and their various resources.

The celebration also focuses on the need to ensure that the present and future generations can benefit from the forest's resources.

He said to mark this year’s International Day of the Forests, the Forestry Commission was organising the quiz programme to help the students to gain more knowledge of the mandate of the Commission and in the end, become brand ambassadors.

“As future leaders, we want to inculcate the culture of tree growing and forest conservation in the daily lives of the people,” he said and urged the Commission to sustain the quiz programme and extend it to other regions of the country.

He thanked the headteachers and staff of the Anumle cluster of schools for accepting to be part of the quiz activities.

The United Nations has declared March 21 of every year, as International Day of Forests (IDF) to celebrate and raise awareness on the critical role forests and trees play to sustain life on the planet and the need to protect these precious resources.

The celebration each year is to draw public attention to the need to protect and sustainably manage the forest and trees, which is sadly under considerable threat in several countries from a number of human-induced factors, including unsustainable agricultural pratices, illegal logging and mining activities, wildfire, amongst others.

This year’s International Day of Forests is on the theme: “Forests and Health” and brings into focus the vital role played by forests and trees in ensuring a healthy planet and human well-being.

Forests offer a wide range of goods and services for enhanced human health and well-being. Our forests and trees purify the air we breathe, provides food and a suitable climate for agricultural cultivation, absorb excess carbon

dioxide in the atmosphere to fight climate change.

Forests are also excellent repositories of plants of high medicinal value for both traditional and orthodox practices and also provide, protect and filter the water we drink.

Forests also offer a therapeutic and relaxing environment for people, in addition to several other health-enhancing benefits.

The Commission appealed to the public to help in planting the 10 million tree seedlings targeted for the 2023 edition of Green Ghana Day, and also help to nurture all the seedlings that were planted during the previous editions of Green Ghana Day.

Ghana will mark this year’s International Day of Forests (IDF) with a series of tree-planting exercises across the country, targeting to plant of 10 million seedlings.

Dubbed Green Ghana Day, which will be undertaken on 9th June 2023, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and Forestry Commission will distribute and plant 10 million seedlings, while nurturing the over 30 milion seedlings planted during the 2021 and

2022 editions of Green Ghana Day.

Other activities lined up by the Forestry Commission in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to commemorate the day include

Media Interactions, Exhibition, Quiz Competition by Anumele Cluster of Schools, and a Debate Competition between Presbyterian Boys SHS, Legon, and Achimota School.

At the end of the competition, Anumele Basic School emerged winner and took home GHS5,000, a plaque, and a certificate while Aggrey Basic School was second and received GHS4,000, a plaque, and a certificate.

Sackey Odoi took the third position and got GHS3,000 and a certificate and Nii Okine placed fourth and took GHS2,000 and a certificate.

There were awards for the contestants.

John Allotey, the Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, lauded the keen competition among the schools.