Plant trees and also water them."Martapura (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) planted a gaharu tree (gyrinops versteegii) on the occasion Indonesia Tree Planting Day and Tree Planting Month at the Sultan Adam People Forest Park in South Kalimantan on Thursday.
The three-meter high tree planted by the President is the 2000th tree planted by participants in the activity.
President Jokowi was accompanied by First Lady Iriana and the Environment and Forestry Minister, Siti Nurbaya for the planting activity. Hundreds of school children were involved in the event.
"Plant trees and also water them," he told Rayan and Rina, two junior high school students from the state SMP 4 Martapura, Banjar District, who took part in the activity.
After planting a tree, President Jokowi moved to another part of the Tahura (people forest park), which is spread over more than two hectares and has been planted with various kinds of trees in a bid for reforestation.
The President even walked up the hill for about 500 meters to approach military and police personnel, who are ready to plant trees at the top of the hill.
"The trees that you plant today must be watered so that they will grow well and become useful for people," he said to them.
He also asked Regional Military Commander VI/Mulawarman and the South Kalimantan police command to look after the trees.
"Indeed, we are entering a rainy season but if the weather remains hot the regional military and police personnel must step in to water them so that they will not die," he stated.
As many as 10,000 trees of various kinds will be planted in a 10-hectare area at the Sultan Adam Tahura.
"A total of 8,000 trees have been planted and today 2,000 more trees are being planted," Environment and Forestry Minister, Siti Nurbaya said.
"The planting of the trees is aimed at restoring trees and the forest that have been burned in recent fires so that the ecosystem is restored," she said.
(Reporting by Yose Rizal/H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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