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More than one hundred students have successfully participated in the tree planting activities of the Ngarchelong Pride Campaign in response to poor soil development and forest burning.
Ann Singeo, Executive Director of Ebiil Society and coordinator for this project, along with members of the Native Reforestation Project created the program into an on-the-field learning experience for students across Palau.
“We have turned the degraded land where the women are reforesting into a classroom for understanding Palau’s forest habitats, and soil and water conservation”, says Singeo.
The program takes in one school each week and is “open for all schools and especially for those who can benefit from direct learning in the field to classroom subject of focus”.
Forest burning incidences were reported as “exceptionally high” for the month of February. Although there are no forest wildfires in Palau, human-produced fires are consuming forests and vegetations across Babeldaob.
The program is helping to restore the forest as a result of these poor practices through tree planting activities.
As of date, the women of the Restoration Project and students all around the country have planted 1,154 native plants.
The project hopes that the student’s passion for saving the forest would inspire others particularly the elder generation to engage in similar activities.