Maluku Planted 7,000 Trees on Monday

Ambon, Maluku, The "One Billion Indonesia Trees" program was launched in Maluku Province on Monday with the planting of 7,000 trees by regional administration officials and people simultaneously in 11 districts/cities.

"At Ambon city`s Pattimura golf course, at least 400 young trees were planted, consisting of 170 wood and 230 fruit species," the head of the Maluku forestry office, Berthy Papilaya, said here on Monday.

Papilaya said, of the 400 young trees, 65 were merbau (Intsia Palembanica), 65 linggua (Pterocarpus indicus) and 40 sengon (Albazia falcataria )saplings. The rest was made up of 40 rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), 10 mango, 50 breadfruit and 65 petai (Parkia speciosa) and 65 durian (Durio spp) saplings.

"We expect the one billion trees target in Maluku to be achieved by the end of January 2011," he said.

According to Papilaya, the tree planting movement actually began in February 2010 and was desired to help reduce the effect of global warming, greenhouse gas emissions, and lower the risk of floods and landslides in the rainy season and droughts during the dry season.