Mba Takora Dinbahara Dabru planting a tree
Eco Restore, a leading reforestation and restorative social enterprise, which combines ancient sustainable practices with cutting-edge regenerative techniques to enhance soil health, restore biodiversity, and secure food security for future generations, has officially launched its annual tree planting month in Takorayiri, located in the North East Region.
The launch coincided with the celebration of World Environment Day (WED) on June 5, which this year focused on the theme “Beat Plastic Pollution”, which aligns with Eco Restore’s mission to restore ecosystems and promote sustainable land management.
The initiative is part of the Global Shea Landscape Emission Reduction Project (GSLERP), a five-year initiative that began last year. It is funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and implemented by the Forestry Commission (FC) and the Global Shea Alliance (GSA), with technical support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Eco Restore has partnered with Bunge, a major international shea processor, and their collaborator Agriterra as part of this initiative. The organisation aims to plant a total of 142,000 trees, including 100,000 shea trees and 42,000 non-shea trees, across 19 communities by 2025.
At the launch event, Eco Restore Director, Dr. Peter Lovett, announced that the organisation has successfully planted over a million trees in the past six years.
He emphasised the importance of cultivating more indigenous trees, particularly shea, noting their role in supporting reforestation, providing market value, and serving as a livelihood source for women.
Dr. Issahaku Zakaria, another Eco Restore Director, urged the public to refrain from activities that harm the environment and ecosystems. He encouraged everyone to plant more trees or replace those they cut down to prevent the risk of waking up to barren landscapes.
The chief of the Takorayiri community, Mba Takora Dinbahara Dabru, blessed the occasion with a symbolic tree planting exercise, joined by partners including ISODEC Coordinator Madam Agnes A. Gandaa, Madam Scholastica Atarah from the Centre for Ecological and Livelihood (CEAL), and Dr. Michael Barnor, officer-in-charge of the Bole sub-station of CRIG.
FROM Eric Kombat, Takorayiri