Over Two Million Trees Planted During Reforestation Month

Over Two Million Trees Planted During Reforestation Month
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 11/13/2011

Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Ernesto Reyna Alcántara, announced that Reforestation Month concluded with the planting of 2,016,000 trees, carried out as part of the Quisqueya Verde Plan which organized 336 reforestation trips around the country.

The trees planted belong to native and endemic species such as mahogany, cedar, oak, pine, Capá, Cabirma and Ceiba.

As such, the goal set by the Ministry of Environment to plant 2 million trees was well surpassed as 15,379 volunteers from various groups belonging to civil society, private companies, schools and universities, peasant and business associations, governmental and non- governmental organizations, banks and military institutions all joined in and fanned out across the entire country in Plan Quisqueya Verde brigades.

The trees planted belong to native and endemic species such as mahogany, cedar, oak, pine, Capá, Cabirma and Ceiba.

Present at Minister Alcántara’s announcement was businessman José Alfredo Corripio and Mrs. Melba Segura de Grullón, from the Sur Futuro Foundation, who congratulated the Environment Ministry for the results achieved in October. “We encourage the Ministry to continue its struggle against the degradation of the country’s natural resources and the mitigation of climate change with the same impetus and patriotic effort seen during this Reforestation Month.”

So far this year, through the National Quisqueya Verde Plan, 8, 338,111 trees have been planted. During the first four months of the year, the plantings were fewer due to the breadth of the drought which made it impossible to plant anything permanent.

However, in May with the arrival of the rains, volunteers took advantage of the good conditions to go out and plant trees. In just the month of May alone, the number of trees planted was twice as large as the previous four months.

The rains that then fell from July to September facilitated the planting rhythm of May, reaching its peak in October, explained the Minister. The planting program began officially on October 1st at an event presided over by Minister Ernesto Reyna Alcántara and Dominican Vice President Rafael Alburquerque, who attended by special invitation.

The Ministry of Environment expressed appreciation for the adhesion of all the civil society organizations with the other reforestation associations. The Ministry made a call for the reforestation to continue throughout the year and to continue the work and goals of the National Quisqueya Verde Program in all the provinces.

Minister Ernesto Reyna Alcántara, since he undertook his position at the Ministry, proposed the planting of 5 million trees by December 2011, a goal he seems to be on the road to meeting thanks to the participation of different sectors of society as they join in the reforestation program.