Raj Khooblall, Rotarian
This coming Saturday, over a thousand trees will be planted along the health tracks of Rose Belle and at Nouvelle France. The Rotary Club of Rose Belle (RCRB) has taken this initiative for a massive tree plantation drive in these two regions. This programme has been possible with the financial support of our sponsor Spoon Consulting and the collaboration of the District Council of Grand Port. The club launched its flagship campaign “Million Tree Project” some five years ago to fight against the effects of climate change on the island. The aim of the project is to plant a million trees across the country.
The club endeavours to show its dedication to sustainable development in the region with a special focus on helping to protect and restore nature and its biodiversity. Various species including Hibiscus, Arocaria, Bottle brush, Miss Hong Kong, Bois de ronde and others would be planted as they are fast-growing, easy to maintain and adapted to the humid area. It is very crucial that the right trees are planted in the right places. Selecting plants that are well-suited to the habitat means that they will grow better, be less affected by diseases, and be resilient in the long term.
The campaign is targeting to plant at least 500 trees at the Rose Belle health track and another 500 trees at the health track at Nouvelle France. Volunteers from Les Jeunes de Bois Chéri, Brahma Kumaris, SheCan Association, Rotaract of Rose Belle and Interact MGSS Nouvelle France are participating in this activity. Inhabitants of these regions are invited to take part in this green movement. In fact, we appeal to all people to actively take part in the campaign so that the overall density of plants increases in this part of the region. Over the years these trees will improve the site for the residents, and we are looking forward to them growing over time.
Speaking about the tree planting campaign at Rose Belle and Nouvelle France, Mr Randharsan, President of the Rotary Club of Rose Belle, said “at this time of climate change, there is a need to plant trees to bring back our nature and these trees planting will not only embellish our environment but will also bring pure air for all of us”. He stated that the club is acting in line with the focus area of Rotary International which deals with the protection of the environment.
Trees are very important for our environment as they help to clean the air we breathe by absorbing harmful carbon from the atmosphere and preserve our biodiversity. Healthy, strong trees offset carbon and reduce the effects of climate change. The club does not only plant trees but also has to monitor and take care of them as they are at the mercy of wind and weather conditions during the early stage. Once grown, these trees create an ecosystem that controls extremes of heat and cold, stores a great deal of water, and generates humidity.
The environment, especially in the case of small islands like Mauritius, is a very complex and sensible system and we have a moral responsibility to protect the natural environment and its resources for the benefit of future generations. It means that we need to protect our own surroundings so that we can live well by having pure air, abundance of fresh water and favourable climatic conditions, in other words, we need to live in harmony with other living beings around us. This is why Rotary International’s seventh focus area is dedicated to the protection of the environment. In fact, environmental protection is the key to wildlife conservation and the well-being of human beings. Therefore, we will need to protect our environment so that we can enjoy a better living in our country.
The Rotary Club of Rose Belle is fully committed to conserving the natural environment of the region, promoting natural regeneration and tree planting which are vital tools in the fight against climate change. The club is already assisting primary schools in setting up their endemic garden while our plants’ distribution aims to encourage people to plant trees at their places. The tree-planting project is a continuous programme of the club and has over the years attracted many collaborators and volunteers. This shows our long-term commitment to the local community.
I would like to appeal to volunteers and corporates to join us in this noble cause to save our environment. Planting trees remains one of the cheapest ways of taking carbon dioxide out of our atmosphere. The club is ready for open dialogue with other civil societies to enhance our million-tree project and we want the campaign to reach thousands of people and the community to take cognizance of our events and activities. I would like to end this article with a quote from Robert Louis Stevenson who said, “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
