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KIU Western Campus Faculty of Education Successfully Celebrate Their Tree Conservation Day

KIU Western Campus Faculty of Education Successfully Celebrate Their Tree Conservation Day

KIU, Western Campus – The KIU Western Campus Faculty of Education has today April 14 successfully celebrated their Tree Conservation Day.

The day, which was held under the theme, “Plant a tree and conserve the environment,” was celebrated in the Staff Common room followed by tree planting and was graced by among others, the DVC Western Campus, Prof. Frank Mugisha Kaharuza and the Assistant Deputy Vice-Chancellors for Finance and Administration and Academics and Research, Dr. Mustapha Mundu and Prof. Mikail Umar Isyaku respectively.

Others were the District Environment Officer for Bushenyi District Vincent Kataate, the Dean Faculty of Education Rahim Abdul and the Associate Dean Aisha Namuddu plus staff and students.

The session started with a presentation from Bright Kunihira, a second-year student at the Faculty, majoring in Biology and Chemistry, who wowed the audience with his discussion about how we should not only think about planting trees but also endeavour to take care of them until they can fully sustain themselves.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor KIU Western Campus (planting tree in photo below), who was the Chief Guest congratulated the Faculty for holding this event and requested them to do more social-conscious activities, stating that it is KIU’s culture to hold such events.

“There is increased environmental consciousness in this institution not only in this Faculty but in other Schools as well,” Prof. Kaharuza said.

“The KIU Pharmacy Students Association (KIUPSA) plants trees every year. Last year alone they planted 1,000 trees and I think you can partner with them because they get genuine seedlings from the National Forest Authority,” he advised.

The District Environment Officer for Bushenyi District Vincent Kataate (dressed in jacket in photo below) said planting trees is more than saving the environment.

“The real purpose of saving the environment is to save lives and every individual has the obligation of keeping the environment clean, according to the constitution,” he noted.

He also elaborated on the importance of trees apart from the ecological use. Kataate said that trees have other benefits including; acting as lightning arrestors, commercial purposes, creating jobs and employment, educational purposes, adding value to land and for tourism purposes.

The Dean Prof. Abdul called forests “the lungs of our planet” adding that they draw in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen.

“Trees in urban areas filter the air and remove harmful particles.  They also help to filter and regulate water, preventing flooding and protecting watersheds,” he explained.

He added that they reduce noise pollution by shielding homes and offices from roads and industrial areas and also provide a hospitable place for animals to live and other plants to grow.

Dr. Mundu (dressed in suit in photo below) expressed his pride at the fact that KIU is contributing to life on land, which is Sustainable Development Goal 15 and assured organizers that by the end of the event they will have given back life.

“After the end of the event, you will have given life back to animals and humans because of the free oxygen which trees exhale for us, which we need to survive,” he said.

Prof. Mikail (dressed in muslim tunic in photo above)told participants that no one can tell him about the importance of trees because of his home area in Nigeria, which he called “desert encroaching”, revealing that during dry spells, temperatures would shoot up to between 43 and 45 degrees centigrade.

After the presentation and discussion session, the group, led by top management moved out for the tree-planting segment, where students and staff planted 70 trees.

Photos: Collins Kakwezi