Stakeholders in environmental development under the auspices of Ondo State Goodwill Ambassador for Environment have donated tree seedlings and extinction artwork to tackle the critical environmental issue of tree planting to the National Museum Owo, Owo local government area of the state.
Speaking during the tree planting event and the presentation of the priceless environmentally friendly artwork titled “Extinction” or “L’Extinction” at the palace of the Olowo of Owo, the group, led by Ms Olapeju Olayemi, said planting trees for the environment is essential for human sustenance.
At the event which was attended by the acting permanent secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mr Olumide Kinga, former commissioner for Environment, Dr Funso Esan hinted that the group wanted to encourage the public to profess their love through tree planting and reduce the carbon emissions that we accumulate on the planet during this year’s valentine celebration.
According to Olapeju, the Ondo State Ministry of Environment wanted to use the podium of Valentine’s Week to positively impact the environment and sensitise people on the importance of tree planting.
She also explained that the priceless environmentally friendly artwork was donated to the National Museum Owo and was produced by Ms Olayemi Olapeju, artist Charles Olulaja Akeredolu and Mrs Bolajoko Taiwo Ayeni from Thorns of Trees that the late famed artist, Chief J. D. Akeredolu, invented for thorn carving in the 1930s.
“We planted trees before embarking on donating the extinction artwork today to demonstrate that we must plant trees to stop the extinction of trees in our forest and to rewrite the history of Valentine’s gifts by motivating the public to plant trees as Valentine’s gift instead of giving out non-biodegradable gift items which have damaging environmental impacts,” she said.
The acting permanent secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Mr Olumide Kinga, called on the public to show love for the environment, which he said was on the verge of mass extinction.
He also asked the people to resuscitate the art of thorn carving as well as the conservation of the endangered African Forest Elephant, which is on the brink of disappearing from the state and the country’s forests.
