Sunday, 18th May 2008

Bank of Valletta supports tree-planting project

Bank of Valletta is supporting the St Aloysius College tree-planting project, which involves the participation of a group of around 60 college students.

The students are engaged in making their own compost, collecting and sowing seeds, watering the saplings and transplanting them into larger pots once these start growing.

The project, undertaken in collaboration with the Rural Affairs Ministry, was launched three years ago by teachers of St Aloysius College.

To date, thousands of seeds of the holm oak, carob, aleppo pine, olive, cypress, bay laurel, and judas tree varieties have been sown.

Today the school boasts a nursery with close to 4,000 saplings, which are cared for by the students involved in this project.

The new phase of this project is being sponsored by Bank of Valletta and the first 65 trees have been planted at the Royal Malta Golf Club.

Speaking about the project during a visit by BoV representatives to see the tree-planting initiative at the Royal Malta Golf Club, Michel Spiteri, one of the teachers involved in the project said: "It is a delight to see the students dedicate time during their break and after school towards this project.

"This is proving to be a rewarding experience for all participants.

"For most of them, this is their first hands-on experience at tree- planting, and the learning process has been very fast. These students can now implement the project with the minimum of supervision."

Expenses for this project are very high and thanks to BoV's contribution the college is in a position to continue sowing seeds and maintaining the saplings already growing.

Comments

Alfred E Baldacchino (on 21/5/08)

The students and teachers at the St. Aloysius College should be congratuled for such initiative. Similarly the Bank of Valletta should also be congratuled for making this project possible. Such projects without any doubt are a great contribution to the Maltese Islands in a number of ways. They are ensuring that local indigenous trees are propageted from local stock. They are ensuring that their replanting in various parts of the Maltese Islands eliminates all possibilities of introducing invasive alien species; they are making available locally grown indigenous trees adapted to local conditions and economising on rare water resources; and they are contributing to a better balance of payment by cutting down on imports. An ecological, economical, social, and educational contribution. Well done. It has to be studients to show the way forward to others who should know better. The Bank of Valletta should encourage more similar projects.