Over 12,000 mangrove seedlings planted at Better Hope

Efforts to revive the mangrove forest along the East Demerara foreshore has been accelerated with the planting of over 12,000 black mangrove seedlings at Better Hope, East Coast Demerara.

The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) in a statement on Wednesday said that the planting exercise, which started last week and runs until Friday, is aimed at regenerating 450 metres of mangrove forest.
Some 18 persons from the community were employed for the project.
The NAREI and the World Wildlife Fund’s Education for Nature Grant-funded project, is being executed by the Mangrove Reserve Producers Co-op.
“The completion of this activity is expected to result in the restoration of 450 metres of black mangroves; natural recruitment and extension of mangrove forests East along the coastline; reduction in garbage dumping along the shoreline; increase in knowledge of local communities about the importance of mangroves; increase biodiversity within the restored forest; and reduction in overtopping and flooding in the community,” NAREI said.
It said that in preparation for the planting exercise, several activities were undertaken, including a survey of the foreshore to identify a suitable site for regeneration, a community clean-up exercise for World Environment Day 2016, and the contracting of five community nurseries to produce 2500 seedlings each.
“Further, consultations were conducted between NAREI and the Better Hope/ LBI Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and residents, to ensure that there was community buy-in, especially since fishing is an economic activity of the community. A small area on the foreshore was identified for community fishermen to dock their boats,” the statement continued.
Residents in the Better Hope area were also urged to support the Project, which will also see the construction of garbage receptacles at strategic points as a means of encouraging residents not to dump over the seawall.