Of trees, children, and the natural environment
This year's Kampanja Kabbar Sigra culminated on May 28 with an entertaining award giving ceremony at the National Research and Development Centre, Ghammieri. Rural Affairs and Environment Minister George Pullicino, together with Dr Frans Agius,...
This year's Kampanja Kabbar Sigra culminated on May 28 with an entertaining award giving ceremony at the National Research and Development Centre, Ghammieri. Rural Affairs and Environment Minister George Pullicino, together with Dr Frans Agius, Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Fisheries and Agriculture, addressed the 200 students present, and distributed the prizes to the various winning schools.
In all, about 50 schools participated this year, including two from Gozo. The most successful school was Sacred Heart Senior School, winning three out of the five categories, including the category for the largest number of trees grown by a single school.
The aim of this campaign is to teach children to understand and appreciate the importance of trees in the natural environment. By teaching them how to grow trees in their classrooms, they learn to actively participate in tree and woodland conservation from an early age.
The School Arbor Committee is made up of officials from the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment, and a representative from both the Ministry of Education, and the Malta Union of Teachers. It plans several nature walks during Arbor Week celebrated in January. This year, four were organised, one of which was in Gozo, and a tree-planting ceremony at the Foresta 2000 site of Ghadira. Another important role of the members of the committee is to give several lectures on nature and woodland conservation in the schools themselves throughout the scholastic year.
During the ceremony, the School Arbor Committee made an appeal for more private schools to take part in these activities, since their participation is still low. An in-service course on woodland and nature conservation was also being organised for those teachers who are School Arbor Committee representatives, and any other teachers interested.
The Education Division, in collaboration with the School Arbor Committee is organising this course from July 7-9.
Anyone interested can contact Dr Charles F. Grech at cf.grech@mail.global.net.mt.
After the prize-giving ceremony, a student from each school was chosen and interviewed on what species of trees they grew in their schools, and on the general plight of trees in Malta. This is what they said:
Nathalie Cauchi, St Joseph Blata l-Bajda
Which species of trees did you grow at school this year?
Carobs, tamarisk and pine trees
Where did you grow them?
In the Science Lab. Our teacher gave us seeds and cuttings of various plants and told us how to grow them.
What do you think are the biggest problems faced by trees today in Malta?
Lots of trees are cut down to make furniture and other things.
How can we solve them?
We can stop cutting trees, but if we cut any we should plant another one instead.
Sean Borg, Mellieha Primary
Which species of trees did you grow at school this year?
Flowers and trees. And geraniums and oaks. We sowed and watered them.
Where did you grow them?
In the school garden.
What do you think are the biggest problems faced by trees today in Malta?
People cutting the branches, and climbing on trees, because they damage the trees.
How can we solve them?
By dividing the waste and rubbish, and wasting less.
Jessica Bugeja, Marsaxlokk Primary School
Which species of trees did you grow at school this year?
Olives, pines, palms, roses...
Where did you grow them?
In the garden around the school. On Environment Day our teacher told us what to do and the gardener helps us to water them.
What do you think are the biggest problems faced by trees today in Malta?
Pollution causes them damage. Children climbing on them can break branches and damage the trees.
How can we solve them?
We can protect them more. We can reduce pollution. We can have less cars and more bicycles.
Maygen Abela, Siggiewi Primary School
Which species of trees did you grow at school this year?
Oak trees. We grew them in milk cartons in the school.
What do you think are the biggest problems faced by trees today in Malta?
A lot of paper is used which comes from trees. The dry summer.
How can we solve them?
We must take care of them. By watering and pruning them.
Yanika Vidal, Sacred Heart Senior School
Which species of trees did you grow at school this year?
Willows and pine trees. The teacher gave us the seeds and told us how to grow them.
Where did you grow them?
In the school garden.
What do you think are the biggest problems faced by trees today in Malta?
Vandalism, pollution. There's not enough space to grow and plant them.
How can we solve them?
We need more space to plant trees. Fewer buildings should be built. We should be careful on what to use so we don't pollute. We could waste less paper.
Wayne Mizzi, Fgura Primary School
Which species of trees did you grow at school this year?
Willows, gummar (dwarf fan-palm) and pines. We planted the seeds in empty milk cartoons. We watered them, and gave them vitamins and then transplanted them.
Where did you grow them?
In milk cartons in the garden.
What do you think are the biggest problems faced by trees today in Malta?
I don't know.
How can we solve them?
We use less paper and plant more trees.
Eman Calleja is deputy chairman of the School Arbor Committee for the Ministry of Rural Affairs and the Environment