Volunteers from ‘Sigar’, a newly registered Gozitan voluntary organisation hosted its first tree-planting event at Ta’ Kenuna Tower and Gardens, Nadur, on Saturday.
The NGO said it has “a simple yet powerful mission: to plant trees and nurture a greener, more vibrant future for Gozo’s residents and visitors alike.”
Saturday’s tree planting event was held in partnership with the Nadur Local Council and the Ministry for Gozo and Planning.
Members of the environmental NGO were joined by the Mayor of Nadur, Edward Said, and supported by local tree expert Joseph Bonello from the Ministry for Gozo. The event was an opportunity to advise members of the public how to “plant the right tree, in the right way in the right place.”
Sigar said that it will hold similar events in all Gozo villages over time. The aim is to “provide local volunteers with an opportunity to plant and learn to take care and grow young trees successfully despite Malta’s challenging climate conditions.”
Sigar explained that it will seek to involve local schools and volunteers from the wider community to participate in future small scale tree planting activities, including regular watering for the following two years to ensure that the healthy young trees establish correctly.
The NGO went on to say that evidence shows that planting indigenous trees, particularly in urban settings, can help in the fight against climate change and support biodiversity. Trees absorb carbon emissions, release clean energy, decrease temperatures, provide welcome shade and serve as shelter and habitat for different species, thereby forming part of a chain in ecosystems which are so important for humans who depend on them every day.
In addition, trees can help local wildlife live and thrive by providing animals and insects with food and shelter, whilst supporting local ecosystems. The NGO said, “indigenous trees are also particularly suited to Gozo’s climate conditions and soil types and, once planted, often require less water and fertiliser than non-native species.”
As such, Sigar said it is committed to only use young trees raised from local seeds by collaborating with the island’s Plant Nursery and Experimental Farm managed by the Rural Gozo Directorate.
With less than 1% of tree cover in our country, Sigar added that it also believes there are many potential opportunities for small scale tree planting projects within Gozo villages, complimenting any larger afforestation projects and tree planting strategies currently supported by the local councils and the Ministry for Gozo.
The NGO said it will “work with them to cultivate a greener future for Gozo’s residents and aims to increase the number of healthy trees planted on the island of Gozo.”
Sigar is officially registered as a voluntary organisation (Ref: VO / 2518).
Photos: Sigar