Warm
Reception for Nobel Laureate at Winter Tree Planting
The
COP 15 host city is a little greener today thanks to the
efforts of 400 Copenhagen school children. Accompanied by
guests of honour, Nobel Laureate and Patron of the Billion
Tree Campaign, Professor Wangari Maathai, and the Danish
Minister of Environment, Troels Lund Poulsen, the children
planted 2,000 trees in the shape of a giant tree just five
kilometres from the UN Climate Change Convention venue.
Once
the trees - all local native species - start to grow, the
formation will be visible from the air for passengers landing
at the nearby Copenhagen Airport, the Minister said.
Prof
Maathai received a rousing reception from the children.
"Dance
and wave if you want to send a message to the governments
meeting down the road that you want them to do the right
thing for all the children," Prof Maathai said.
"You'll
look back and be so glad you planted these trees, for you,
your families and for your children, because you are looking
after our world and the generations to come," she said.
Speaking
at the event, UNEP's Director of Communications, Satinder
Bindra, told the children they had made a special contribution
to UNEP's Billion Tree Campaign.
"The
trees you've planted today, on day three of the crucial
climate change talks, will be added to the Billion Tree
Campaign tally and you can be very proud participants,"
Mr. Bindra told the young crowd.
"You've
planted 2,000 seedlings and next year you've got to go back
to your schools and say 'Let's plant 20,000!'", he
said.
Prof
Maathai and Mr. Bindra were presented with a silver spade
with an engraved blade to mark the planting of 360,000 trees
for the Billion Tree Campaign; 100,000 were contributed
by Replant the Planet and 260,000 by LEAF, a leading eco-schools
programme active in 58 countries.
Making
the presentation, the Coordinating Representative for LEAF,
Bjørnstad Helge Bjørnstad, thanked Prof Maathai
for inspiring him and thousands of others to get planting.
"Your
life's work has been an inspiration for many of us, through
demonstrating that planting a seed can create a legacy which
will last many lifetimes, so thank you for coming here today
to lend your support," Mr. Helge Bjørnstad said.
More than 100 school children rode their bicycles to the
event, which included lessons on tree planting and climate
change.
Da United Nations Environment Programme
