Students and lecturers at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have planted over 1,000 trees at the institution’s Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources to mitigate threats to biodiversity in Ghana. This tree-planting expedition was led by five departments of the university, including land planning, sociology, environmental science, geography, and meteorology.
The planting exercise, involving 110 students, saw over 1,000 teak seedlings planted in less than three hours under the guidance of lecturers who acted as field facilitators. A senior lecturer in the planning department and one of the field facilitators, Dr. Stephen Takyi, revealed to OTEC News Reporter Jacob Boateng that the initiative was part of the 2024 edition of World Environment Day activities.
“This year’s event is themed ‘Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience,’ and we believe that as a country and a university, we need to plant more trees,” Dr. Takyi stated. “Although we have consistently embarked on several tree-planting exercises, we deemed it fitting to mark this occasion with a massive tree planting to serve as a wake-up call for others,” he added.
Dr. Takyi commended the students and all the field facilitators who participated in the event. “The facilitators include Dr. Mary Sefa, Lecturer in Environmental Sociology, Department of Sociology; Edmund Adzagbre, Technician in the Department of Silviculture and Forest Management; Kofi Ansah, Technician and Manager of the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources Farmland; and Prof. Emmanuel Acheampong, Lecturer in Natural Resources Governance, Department of Silviculture and Forest Management,” Dr. Takyi mentioned.
This concerted effort underscores the university’s commitment to environmental sustainability and highlights the proactive measures being taken to address pressing environmental issues in Ghana.
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