Agriculture Ministry prepares for forestry summer programme

The Forestry Division in the Ministry of Agriculture will be hosting its annual summer programme from August 4 -25.

This year’s programme will be held under the theme “Our forest, our Land” and will be conducted on the Leeward and Windward sides of the country.{{more}}

From August 4-15, the workshop will be held at Chateaubelair, and from August 18-25 in the Marriaqua Valley.

Forestry Officer Garth de Shong said the Marriaqua Valley was selected because one of this country’s major watersheds is located there and needs to be protected. He said, because the focus would be forest oriented, the programme would be both theoretical and practical.

Participants on the Leeward side will also channel their energy on forest related activities. de Shong said the youths will be introduced to some of the forested areas in their communities and also be exposed to the day-to-day activities of a forestry officer.

“We have a parrot census that normally happens every two years. They will be exposed to a first hand knowledge of how they carry out the parrot census. The forestry officers will teach them how to do thinning, felling of trees and use of a chain saw,” he said.

The Forestry officer added that quality management of water, the maintenance of different forest reserves, and keeping abreast of endemic species such as whistling frog, whistle wabbler and our national bird, the amazona guildingi, would also be on the programme’s agenda.

The Forestry Department first held its summer programme in 2005. The session caters for approximately 120 participants between the ages of 12-16. It is used as an avenue to sell the department and to sensitise the Vincentian public on the importance of the protecting and conserving the forest.

Interested individuals are requested to contact Casmus Mc Cleod or any other officer attached to the Marriaqua Valley and in Chateaubelair, Forest supervisor Amos Glasgow or any other forestry officer in the community, or telephone 457-8594.