11 Nov 2014

The chief forest and range resources officer, Mr Jeremiah Moeng, has urged residents of Thankane and surrounding villages to make tree conservation part of their lives.

Speaking at the Southern District Tree Planting Day in Thankane, Mr Moeng noted that trees were an integral part of life because they could help alleviate poverty. He said they were a source of food for humans and animals, and therefore their extinction would have a negative impact to life.

Mr Moeng said trees were used to enhance the wellbeing of a nation because they were a source of medicine. “If we continue cutting them recklessly then we are risking our health as a nation,” he said.

The government came up with the tree planting initiative after realising that Botswana was slowly becoming a desert due to excessive tree planting and lack of conservation, he said. Mr Moeng noted that the intention of this initiative was to make tree planting part of culture and develop it into a way of life for the people.

He said this year, Mmilo or Mothwane was chosen as the tree of the year because not only does it provide food for people and animals, but it was also used for shade. Nonetheless, Mr Moeng said the country was still faced with a challenge of people who still used natural resources recklessly; something which he said could result in extinction.

He said veldt fires were a threat to trees, thereby urging attendants to avoid anything that could cause such fires. Seek permission before burning waste material or residue from ploughing fields to avoid unnecessary fires, he added.

He also warned them against possible penalties that they could face if found guilty of causing veldt fires. The Southern District coordinator, Mr Gabagomotse Mafoko noted that the aim of the day was to enhance awareness on the importance of tree planting within local communities.

The day’s objectives also included sensitising communities on the conservation of natural resources such as vegetation so that they don’t become extinct. Furthermore, he said another aim was to reduce the impact of pollution to the environment which could happen as a result of soil erosion caused by excessive tree cutting. ENDS