Fri May 16, 2014

What is the ENO Treelympics?

Environment Online (ENO) is a global virtual school and network for sustainable development. Since the launch in 2000, schools in 157 countries have joined ENO in concrete environmental actions like tree planting.{{more}} There are two annual ENO tree planting days which take place on the International Day for Biodiversity, May 22, and the International Day of Peace, September 21. ENO made a strong commitment in Rio+20 Summit to plant 100 million trees by 2017.

Trees play a vital role in rural and urban populations. They are needed to enrich and anchor soil, to maximize water supplies, to beautify and humanise towns and urban areas and to provide shade and shelter. They are also crucial for biodiversity conservation. Products and services from trees include food, timber, fibre, medicines and energy. The impact of planting trees is one of the ways to offset our carbon emissions which are one of the major contributors to climate change.

Can St Vincent and the Grenadines win?

By May 14, we had registered more than 70 schools and community groups in St Vincent and the Grenadines for the first Treelympics, along with more than 100 other countries in the world. We are ahead of any other country in the Caribbean, as well as a few others around the globe – e.g. Turkey, the Philippines, Latvia, Malaysia and Romania.

Registration of schools and community groups is open until May 22, 2014, and all trees must be planted by October 24, 2014.

SVG in the lead!

ENO Treelympics invited the Ministry of Environment to mobilize St Vincent and the Grenadines to participate. The Ministry gathered a wider group from various ministries and NGOs to participate in the Treelympics.

The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment is working along with local groups, including the Richmond Vale Academy, to assist the schools and other groups in registering and the response has been nothing less than amazing – more than 70 schools and groups have signed up and the number is growing.

The winner is…

The environment and everyone who is involved in tree planting, because it is part of securing a sustainable future for our nation. Each individual who participates will be given a certificate. Winners of the global competition will be given a free flight to Finland to join the award ceremony on November 20, 2014. The Ministry is also working with local partners to provide prizes on the local level in several categories.

It is not too late to join – go to www.treelympics.org to register. All schools, church groups, youth groups, environmental groups, culture groups, anyone – Sign up now! Sign up before May 22, 2014.

Need help? Call the Treelympics Hotline at Richmond Vale Academy 458 2255.