Group Advocates Tree Planting to Mitigate Effect of Climate Change

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt 

A group, Journalists For Sustainable Development Initiative (JSDI), has trained students in Kaa community in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State on how to plant trees to mitigate the effect of climate change.

The group, a body of journalists committed to environmental advocacy, organised the training yesterday in commemoration of the World Environment Day, which was held on June 5, 2025.

The training, which is also part of the annual tree planting awareness campaign of JSDI, was done at the Government Secondary School Kaa and Community Primary School Kaa simultaneously.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of JSDI, Dr. Parry Benson, highlighted the importance of planting trees as provision of shelter, food and prevention against environmental degradation.

He discouraged indigenes of the community against indiscriminate falling of trees.

Benson said the training of the students was important in order  for them to be climate ambassadors and start early to know how to plant trees.

According to him, “We are in Community Secondary Kaa, and Kaa is a coastal community in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, and we have to let the people know that it’s time to build sea defense against climatic change, not only that but planting of trees as we do every year.

“We also trained young school children to be climate ambassadors. When you train up a child like the Bible says, they will live to remember those things. We trained children to plant trees because when a child plants a tree, he protects it, and these are one of the things we have come to Kaa to do.

“We have trained the children and certified them as climate ambassadors and to discourage them from felling trees indiscriminately.” 

Responding, Menebua Ka Babbe IV, HRH Benjamin Kii, who was represented by Chief Nuator Nwineedam, thanked JSDI for coming to create the awareness in the community, and promised that the community would protect the trees that have been planted.

“We are all climate ambassadors and friends of the climate. We like trees, especially as Kaa is a coastal community with a lot of winds and storms, and we know that these trees will help to protect damages on our buildings and others.

“We promise that we are going to support and protect all this trees and also send a note of warming to our community and students that this trees should not be touched because if you touch one tree, you will be made to plant two, therefore, no one should cut any tree because we need to plant more,” he warned.

On his part, the Vice Principal of the Government Secondary School Kaa, Dee-ue Pyazuguru, promised on behalf of the school authorities to partner JSDI in creating further awareness and ensuring that the trees are protected.

“We are here to also partner your team to make sure this project is sustained and that we can also make boast of it,” he said.

Pyazuguru added: “Planting of trees is important to protect our environment. As a biology teacher, we also discussed these with our students and from today onward, I believe they will put it into practice and believe this will be a remarkable initiative in the school.”

Speaking on behalf of the youths, Philip Saro-Bakpo commended JSDI for the initiative while appealing to the students to ensure that they put what they have been taught into practice for the benefit of the entire community.