EEG One Million Tree Campaign receives pledge of 1.4 million Trees from Emirates Heritage Club
Emirates Environmental Group’s One Million Tree Campaign exceeds its target to pledge and plant at least a million trees in the UAE when it receives a pledge of more than1.4 million assorted trees planted in and around Al Sammaliah Island from the Commission of Environmental Research (CER) under the Emirates Heritage Club.
With this pledge, Emirates Heritage Club (EEG) more than fulfills its commitment to UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign. But more than quantity, this pledge provides quality to the collective pledge of the UAE since these trees play an important role in the preservation of Al Sammaliah Island, a 35 square kilometer natural reserve, located in the Arabian Gulf, 12 kilometers Northeast of Abu Dhabi City.
CER specifically pledged a total of 1,440,000 million planted and still to be planted avincenna marina mangrove varieties, 12,000 Acacia and 5,000 Eucalyptus seedlings. These trees are planted and still being planted under the supervision of CER in the islands of Al Sammalia, Zirko, Orzanh and Qareen Al Ayesh. CER aims to develop the economic benefits of the natural resources without jeopardizing the environmental balance of the island. The coastal biodiversity of the island has been enriched by the planting of approximately 17 Km2 of mangroves, as well as other plant species.
“The project of CER in Al Sammaliah Island is no small feat and provides a fine example of coastal resource management in the Gulf. Their support to the One Million Tree campaign is a sterling act of corporate social responsibility and a genuine act of concern for the UAE environment”, said Habiba Al Marashi, EEG Chairperson. “Individual members of CER-EHC signed our Pledge-A-Tree Wall early this year and provided us with encouraging messages. It is truly amazing for them to return to us in a very big way”.
CER i s i nvolved wi th all aspects of the development and management of Al Sammaliah Island. Under the instructions of H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Al Sammaliah Island hosts a variety of cultural and sports activities including horse and camel riding, falconry, and aquatic sports.The One Million Tree Campaign is still accepting pledges to plant trees from all sectors of the community. Individuals and companies can pledge trees that were planted or are still to be planted in 2007. The name and the number of pledged trees will be listed in EEG’s publications.
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