Migori County residents have been encouraged to plant indigenous trees to maintain the forest cover in the county.
Speaking at Suba-Kuria Grounds, ,Mabera Deputy County Commissioner Joyfiller Wambua said that by planting indigenous trees the county will hugely benefit from the enormous benefits that trees can offer.
Indigenous trees are known for providing good shade, are ecofriendly and have medicinal value that has long been used by traditional healers.
Wambua said that it was important for the county residents not only to engage in tree planting but also ensure that the trees fully mature.
“We have been engaging in the process of tree planting forgetting the important aspect of nurturing trees to their full maturity,” she affirmed.
She called upon the local administrators to always plant trees every time they have a public gathering and barazas to boost tree cover.
The official noted that it was important to ensure that the forest cover is increased through tree planting at sub-County levels to improve the current 0.3 percent forest cover to the recommended 10 percent.
The administrator urged the local non-governmental organisations to come on board and assist in tree planting and forest cover conversation.
She also encouraged the tree farmers to always plant mature seedlings to improve their survival rate of growing to become trees.
Wambua urged the county government and institutions to create park spaces and equip it with indigenous trees to protect the African heritage and culture that the igneous trees used to provide.
Greenlife Director John Bosco explained that majority of farmers do not engage in indigenous tree planting because they have no direct value to the farmers in addition to longevity in maturing.
“The new hybrid variety of trees like eucalyptus and pine have a shorter life span due to tree harvesting and logging making them non ideal in terms of forest cover. When we plant indigenous trees, we will not have a reason to cut them down leading to forest cover conservation,” affirmed Bosco.
He advised the local residents to appreciate indigenous trees like Elgon Teak and Mahogany because of the effects of climate change and the unpredictable weather patterns being experienced.
The DCC noted that indigenous trees have a good shade, they are ecofriendly in addressing carbon emission, they attract rainfall and can change weather patterns of a region.
Bosco added that indigenous trees are also protected by the Kenyan law making them an ideal species in conserving the environment and the natural forest cover.
He said that Greenlife in partnership with ideal research will continue to collaborate in order to nurture seedlings that can be planted to regenerate the tree cover in the county.
By Geoffrey Makokha
