'1 Million Trees and Beyond' project surpasses half million mark

MANILA, Philippines - The Green for Life: One Million Trees and Beyond (OMTB), a project initiated by Br. Armin Luistro, FSC and the Lasallian Institute for the Environment (LIFE), hit 610,694 seedlings planted as of end of February, 2010. The project aims to plant one million trees around the Philippines by June 2011, in time for the centennial celebration of the Lasallian presence in the Philippines.

Led by Br. Armin Luistro FSC, OMTB was officially launched last September 26, 2006 at the Mt. Palay-palay Protected Landscape in Ternate, Cavite, planting about 1,000 seedlings and participated by about 400 volunteers from the different La Salle schools in Luzon. Later, through two national planning workshops involving the 17 La Salle schools in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, the project rolled out to cover uplands and mangroves all over the country.

For 2010, the project aims to plant more than 350,000 seedlings, with focus on broader participation and awareness among De La Salle member schools and partner organizations. OMTB remains committed to planting native and endemic species in various sites to promote biodiversity and preserve the flora and fauna.

Aside from planting trees, the project aspires to raise the awareness of the public and the youth in particular on environmental issues that confront our country. It seeks to inculcate important values and promote the active participation of the youth in actual tree planting.

In line with this, LIFE and the La Salle schools organized forums and researches as support activities for the project. Last year, LIFE hosted talks on mangroves by TIME Environmentalist of the Year, Dr. Jurgenne Primavera.

Research papers on OMTB were also submitted to the 2010 International Research Conference on Environmental Research and Technology in Penang, Malaysia and IATED International Conference in Valencia, Spain .

Special attention has been given to mangroves, such as those in Calatagan, Lian and Cuenca in Batangas, Barangays Balot, Camachile, Capunitan, Sta Elena and Wawa in Orion, Bataan, Punta Taytay in Negros Occidental, and Balaring Silay in Misamis Oriental, among others. Other sites include Ilin Island in Mindoro; Salikneta Farm and Karahume in Bulacan; Pililia in Rizal, Orion, Bagac, and Balanga in Bataan; Barangays Bihawovillar, Mt Binandilaan and in Botolan, Zambales. For further inquiries regarding OMTB, visit www.1million treesandbeyond.com.