Manga: A grove of more than 350 plants, including 16 species of trees, was created Monday in sector No. 4 of Manga, for the benefit of the graduates of the patriotic immersion of the Nazinon region, at the initiative of the regional directorate of Water and Forests. The reforestation session for the creation of the patriotic immersion grove mobilized several hundred young people, assisted by their supervisors, regional authorities, and environmental service agents. The site covers an area of more than half a hectare and is home to local species such as baobab, shea, lemon, and fig, as well as exotic species such as moringa.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the regional director of Water and Forests of Nazinon, Lieutenant-Colonel Aim© Compaor©, stated that the initiative aims to provide candidates with a green space that will bear their mark on the city. "The establishment of this grove follows the commitment of the President of Faso to create groves of medicinal plants. It responds to a need for environmental education and helps strengthen their attachment to nature," said Lieutenant-Colonel Compaor©.
Lieutenant-Colonel Compaor© added that the initiative is part of a sustainable development approach, mainly focused on three components: the economic component, with the production of non-timber forest products; the social component, through the supply of medicinal plants and pharmacopoeia products; and the environmental component, through urban carbon sequestration and the improvement of air quality.
The Zoundw©ogo Provincial Director of Water and Forests, Lieutenant Colonel Adama Kalmogo, announced that several innovations have been introduced to ensure the success of the operation. These include the installation of a wire mesh fence, the involvement of high school and middle school students from the start of the next school year in maintaining the plants, and the creation of signs bearing the names of those who participated in the reforestation. "This georeferencing will allow everyone to find their tree in several years," he said.
The beneficiaries welcomed the initiative. Immersed student Gouem Salom© considered the innovations "very original." She described their participation as "a memorable and unforgettable event," and called on local residents to help maintain the plants.
The first vice-president of the Manga special delegation, Ad¨le Guiguemkoudr© Kafando, congratulated the Nazinon regional directorate of Water and Forests for providing the city with an ecological lung, also materializing a presidential initiative of "great importance" for young people and Burkinabe citizens. "This reforestation activity is a life lesson that will strengthen the attachment to nature of the students in patriotic immersion," said Thierry Nikiema, the mission officer for the Nazinon region at the Presidency of Faso.