MANGROVE PLANTING DRIVE TO MARK SAIL BANDA

At least 2,000 youths will participate in a mangrove planting drive along the
coast of Ambon Inner Bay on July 30, 2010 as part of the Sail Banda international marine event.
Sail Bada 2010 Civic Mission coordinator Fat Bassalamah said here on Saturday that during the drive each of the 2,000 youths would plant one mangrove tree.
"At least 2,000 youths from the Maluku Protestant Church, Maluku mosques, high schools and university students, and boyscouts, will take part in the one man, one mangrove tree planting drive," Bassalamah said.
He said the mangrove seedlings were being prepared through a coordination with Maluku Forestry Office in

cooperation with technical executive unit (UPT) at Forestry Ministry.
"The mangrove planting activity is part of Sail Banda 2010, scheduled for June 12 to August 17, 2010 and President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's one-man-one-tree policy," Bassalamah said.
Bassalamah, who is concurrently the chief of Maluku Health Office, said the mangrove planting program was intended
to improve the local youths' social awareness of environmental preservation to reduce global warming.
"The mangrove tree planting movement is important in a bid to prevent coastal abrasion and tidal waves," Bassalamah said. (ant-ambon)