Muscat – In line with the national programme to plant 10mn wild trees, Environment Authority (EA) has launched an initiative called ‘One student, one tree’ among school students.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, Hamad al Saadi, director of Environment Department in the wilayat of Al Kamil W’Al Wafi in South Sharqiyah, said, “EA recently launched the initiative among school students. It aims to spread awareness on the importance of planting wild trees and completing the project of planting 10mn wild trees.”

The initiative includes several schools in wilayats such as Al Kamil W’Al Wafi, Jaalan Bani bu Ali and Al Ashkharah. Specialists at EA distributed more than 200 saplings of indigenous species among school students.

On November 30, the Environment Department in South Sharqiyah, represented by Al Salil Natural Park, in cooperation with a private school, planted a number of saplings in the schoolyard as part of ‘One student, one tree’.

“The national initiative of planting 10mn Omani wild trees followed successes in similar tree planting initiatives. Preserving biological diversity and protecting wildlife is everyone’s responsibility, whether a citizen or a resident of the sultanate,” Saadi said.

The initiative faces several challenges, including irrigation of the saplings and trees.

“We will continue to plant wild trees such as samar and sidr and spread the culture of preserving wild trees among all students of South Sharqiyah governorate schools,” Saadi said.

“We wish citizens, residents and private institutions cooperate with us in planting the maximum number of wild trees possible and increase green coverage in South Sharqiyah.”

On Wednesday, the authority in cooperation with Omani Sidr Association, planted wild shua trees in Al Nasr marble quarry and at a number of schools in the wilayats of Suwaiq and Khabourah in the ongoing efforts to plant 10mn wild trees.