The Jack and Jill primary school in Trans Nzoia has heightened efforts to promote Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) hands-on learning experience through planting trees as a way of enabling pupils conserve environment.
One of the key areas that the school management has focused on is nurturing its learners to be environmental conservationists through planting of trees from time to time.
During this year’s world environment day, the school planted trees at one of the gazetted forests on the outskirts of Kitale town at Meru Farm.
“We have planted more than 300 trees in our efforts to conserve the environment for we are aware that there is a need to replace trees that are cut,” said Tracy Anyango, a class eight pupil at the school.
The school director Pinto Nelson Atudo said the effort will help in mentoring the young learners to be responsible in matters environment while exposing them to a practical learning environment.
“The school has a culture of having an annual tree planting session to mark the world environment day, today we extend our gratitude to the Kenya forest management in Kitale for one acre at the kitale Meru forest that they have given us so we have now adopted this part of the forest where we will be planting trees yearly, ” said Mr. Atudo.
Trans Nzoia County Ecosystem Conservator George Abuto Okolla said the department plans to plant 4Million trees this year and the forest department has more than 2 million trees seedlings at the nursery with another 2 Million trees seedlings from farmers nurseries across the county that will be distributed to farmers and learning institutions to plant during this year’s rainy season,
The Trans Nzoia forest conservator added that they have launched a crackdown on timber yards in Kitale Municipality and Kiminini township following an increase in cases of illegal logging in gazetted forests.
The crackdown follows a recent logging of several trees at Sikhendu block in Saboti forest station which has so far seen one Timber yard dealer arrested as part of the security operation.
“We received a tip off that this dealer was converting the logs to timber. We conducted a search and found him guilty of the accusation,” Mr. Abuto said.
By Kosuri Valarie
