The World Forest Day was commemorated with a joint venture between the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Beaconhouse Outdoor Education Programme (BOEP) to raise awareness about some of the problems faced by our rural population, with a special focus on mangroves.

A plantation drive was arranged at a local village Rehri near Korangi Harbour. Student members of the Nature Club from Jubilee Campus were accompanied by their teachers and Mr. Zaki Naqi for the activity.

They first convened to watch a series of short films about environmental and fresh water issues, the importance of mangroves, and sustainable development, followed by an informative discussion before proceeding to the site. 

Student Comments

“I learnt about the importance of mangrove plantation and plants; we should plant as many trees as we can. I am thankful to IUCN for giving me this opportunity.”
Raza Ans Zafar, Class VIII-F

“When we reached the harbour, the IUCN staff told us about the history and about certain boats such as Bengali Boat. Then we met a gardener and he told us how to plant a mangrove. It was messy but we enjoyed it very much.”
Farooq Hussain Qadri, Class VIII-H

“We watched a 35 minute documentary about mangroves and how they help prevent earthquakes and tsunamis. Mr. Tahir Qureshi gave an informative briefing about mangroves and we call him Mr. Mangrove. It was a great trip that I will never forget. I told all my cousins and friends about it.”
 Asad Ahmad, VIII- G

“We planted very rare mangrove plants and I learnt that by cutting mangroves we are spoiling our own chances of survival in the event of a natural disaster”.
Aman Abrar, Class VIII-G

“Mr. Tahir Qureshi explained how IUCN is working to improve the socio-economic conditions by planting mangroves. We were informed that 60% of the mangroves are planted by IUCN and 40% by the locals. I wish that trips such as this one could be organised more frequently.”
Aleena Khan

Know More

IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. It supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world and brings governments, non-government organisations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy, laws and best practice.

Courtesy: iucn.org