GEF Antigua and Barbuda

As is customary at this time of year in commemoration of Arbour month the Forestry Unit and the Environment Division in the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing and the Environment would like to strongly encourage every Antiguan and Barbudan to plant least one tree.

Arbour Month is celebrated throughout the world at different times of the year. It will be celebrated in Antigua and Barbuda in the month of November. This is because November has the best conditions for newly planted trees to flourish, it is the wettest month of the year and it is at the end of the hurricane season.

Arbour Month originated in Nebraska, USA in 1872 when the ex-Governor of Nebraska, J. Sterling Morton who was also an agriculturist, highlighted the vital importance of tree planting. It was estimated that over a million trees were planted on the first Arbour Day on April 10th 1872 and prizes were given to counties and individuals who planted the most trees.

Trees are the building blocks on which society thrives they are an important component of the natural environment because they help prevent soil erosion and provide a habitat for many organisms. Through photosynthesis (the process by which plants make energy to grow) they play an important role in producing oxygen and reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Trees therefore have a major impact on reducing global warming. In essence they are the lungs of our natural environment.

The Sustainable Island Resource Management Project (SIRMM) is carrying out activities to rehabilitate parts of the Body Ponds Watershed. The project is being implemented through the Forestry Unit in collaboration with the Environment Division, the Extension Division and the Government Agricultural Stations in the Ministry of Agriculture. On Monday the 16th of November the Forestry Unit, with the assistance of the Environment Division, Community groups from the area, Environmental Cadets, and the general public, is aiming to plant well over 1,200 trees in the Body Ponds Watershed.

The Body Ponds Watershed is the largest watershed in Antigua and is important for agriculture. The watershed is now severely eroded and overrun by Lemon grass (Citronella sp.) which is an invasive species. Vegetation and soil layers in the watershed become very dry during the drought season; these conditions promote forest and grass fires.

The objectives of the Body Ponds project are:
• to improve the management of the largest watershed on the island of Antigua,
• to ensure the survival of remaining biodiversity,
• to control the invasive species,
• to promote sustainable farming practices and
• to restore watershed function for the overall benefit of the nation.

So on Monday the 16th of November from 8:00am to 4:30pm the Forestry Unit, the Environment Division and the SIRMM Project encourages you, the general public, to come out and get involved in an activity that will ultimately have a tremendous impact on this ambitious endeavor to rehabilitate the Body Ponds Watershed.

If you would like further information on this project or need to know how you can get involved, please call the Forestry Unit at 562-1959/720-5710 or email sirmmab@gmail.com.

Come and plant a tree for the benefit of your country.