PORTALJABAR, DISTRICT. GARUT - The Food Care Women's Group (KP3) Mekarsari Village held a commemoration of International Tree Day and National Tree Planting Day in Neglasari Village, Garut Regency, Tuesday (28/11/2023).

A total of 430 trees were planted, including types of trembesi, manglid, guava, tabebuya, honje, sengon, puspa and durian.

According to the Chairperson of Mekarsari Village KP3, Linda stated that the importance of this activity is to commemorate International Tree Day which falls on November 21 2023, and National Tree Planting Day November 28 2023.

Linda invites all parties to plant trees to preserve the environment, so that the air becomes healthier.

"Water can be stored, in the dry season it doesn't dry out because the water is stored in the trees," he said.

Also attending this activity were children from Nurul Rosidah Kindergarten and SMAN 19 Garut. Linda said that environmental education for the next generation is very important to know how to protect the environment by planting trees.

"Well, the regeneration of the future is so that these children really exist within themselves. It's so important to plant and care for the tree so that it becomes ingrained in them when they grow up, they can also pass this on to their children, grandchildren and grandchildren so that nature is preserved. ," he said.

The Head of the Environmental Pollution and Damage Control Division of the Garut Environmental Service, Nanang, provides full support because the existence of trees is very important for conservation areas such as Garut Regency.

"So the Environmental Service also always has an activity program related to the rehabilitation of critical land in Garut Regency, which in fact has a lot of critical land in Garut, there are more than 60,000 hectares, so gradually over time we have integrated it, including collaboration with community institutions. something like this," he said.

Head of the Region V Forestry Service Branch, Dedi Sudadi, appreciated this activity as motivation for other groups.

This activity was also attended by the Head of the Garut Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Service, Ridzky Ridznurdhin, who expressed support from the cooperative side for the plan to establish a social forestry cooperative.

"So he will try to integrate environmental factors with economic governance, which ultimately means that independence must also be maintained, don't let programs that are so good without governance, especially those that are economically oriented, will die. So independence will emerge," he said. .

One of the teachers from SMAN 19 Garut, Rana Ahmad Juliana, said that through this activity, he reminded all parties, including the younger generation, to remain concerned and sensitive to the environment, especially in planting trees which have many benefits.

"To continue to care about the environment, especially in planting trees. Because of course trees have many benefits," he said. (Diskominfo Garut/UPI)