More than 50,000 trees will be planted each year, over the next three years, in a bid to create more woodland and recreational space across the island.

The initiative is part of Tree for You (34U), an afforestation campaign launched by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Environment Minister George Pullicino during a tree-planting session Ta' Qali National Park. The trees were planted by children representing every local council.

"We want the public to adopt this initiative and take ownership and embrace a green environment," Mr Pullicino said.

Both Mr Pullicino and Dr Gonzi made a heartfelt appeal to people to stop vandalising parks and senselessly uprooting trees just for the sake of it.

The 34U campaign will mainly target five sites, namely Delimara, Xorb l-Ghagin, Ta' Qali National Park, Salina/Kennedy Grove and Mellieha.

Other sites will be tackled in subsequent stages of afforestation and park development.

Mr Pullicino said the Italian government was lending a helping hand and had so far donated 8,000 trees, while providing technical assistance on how the island could become self-sufficient.

The campaign will first focus on creating awareness among the public about the importance of trees - trees are the lungs of the earth and apart from providing shelter they also protect the world's climate by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.

The ultimate aim is to launch a vast tree-planting programme with the full participation of the public, national institutions, businesses, unions, voluntary organisations and others.

In fact, HSBC chief executive Shaun Wallis gave a donation of Lm15,000 towards this project and Go Mobile chief executive officer Juanito Camilleri made another donation of Lm3,000.

The bank's donation was made through the newly launched HSBC Cares for the Environment Fund.

Dr Gonzi praised the two enterprises for setting the example and hoped other private companies would follow suit.

Both Dr Gonzi and Mr Pullicino were yesterday given a tour of the newly embellished park by architect George Buhagiar, director of Park Department, which is responsible for the work.

The Ta' Qali park's Oak Tree Circle, which had been abandoned and covered with rubble, has now been cleared to make way for new trees and a terracing system created to protect the newly planted saplings from the northwest winds.