Reforestation Campaign Launched Within Lattakia’s 2nd Cultural Festival

 Reforestation has innumerable benefits. One can’t imagine the advantages it will bring for mankind, wildlife as well as the vegetation. Most importantly, afforestation is something which is very economical and easy . It can help in bringing back the balance of nature.

A reforestation campaign has been launched by Lattakia’s Culture Team for building life skills of the Child Culture Directorate within the framework of the activities of Lattakia’s second cultural festival currently held. The campaign, in which 100 volunteers took part, was carried out in the village of “Al-Bahlolieh” in Lattakia’s countryside which was subjected to a big fire last summer.

During the campaign more than 600 different forest saplings including carob and laurel were planted aiming at reviving the areas which have been exposed to fires and the areas where trees have been cut down.

Head of the culture team for building life skills Mrs. Amal Tobal, said in a statement to the Syriatimes e-newspaper that the campaign was carried out in honor of the spirit of the two martyrs Bassam Janad and Jalal Saqr who died while they were carrying out their duty to put out the forest fires that erupted last summer in Al-Bahlolieh village.

“ the campaign aims at expanding green areas , replanting degraded and burned forests and maintaining the sustainability and continuity of forests productivity , in addition to focusing on the economic and environmental gains of the forest” Mrs. Tobal stressed.

She underlined that the objective of the team’s participation in the campaign is to raise the children’s awareness about the importance of preserving nature and environment as well as to teach them what land and belongingness to the homeland mean.

On his part, Head of the forestry Department at Lattakia’s Agriculture Directorate Ein Edou made it clear that the afforestation campaigns will continue till the end of December during which more than 3000 forest saplings will be planted in different areas of Lattakia marking Tree Day which falls on the last Thursday of each year.

He reiterated that the ministry of agriculture seeks to rehabilitate all the afforestation areas which have been cut, burnt and vandalized, as a plan was put for the coming stage focusing on these areas as a priority.

On their parts, the participants in the campaign stressed the campaign is very important because the tree is the symbol of love and giving and every sapling is a symbol of a new hope for a better future, stressing preserving the nature and environment is a national duty to help in creating a greener and brighter future for the upcoming generations.

Interviewed by: Rawaa Ghanam

Photos by: Rawaa Ghanam..