Thai youths encouraged to plant trees on Children's Day

BANGKOK, January 9 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment invites the youth to plant their own trees to celebrate the National Forest Day on January 14, which this year also falls on Children's Day. Chonlatit Suratsawadee, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Forestry, told journalists that his department will be one of organisers of activities at Bangkok's Government House to celebrate the Children's Day on January 14, which coincides with the National Forest Day this year. Chonlatit said his department will, thus, use the opportunity to introduce the "My Tree" Project there to encourage individual youths to plant at least one personal tree and watch it grow up, together with each of them. Chonlatit noted that the project is aimed to follow late His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's advice on planting tress inside people's hearts since they are young for the sake of sustainable solution to national forest problems. According to the senior official, the project is also aimed to create awareness among the Thai youths to love and conserve trees. "Children who are interested in participating in the project can receive seedlings at the Government House on January 14, after that they can also register to formally join the project throughout the year. The ministry's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation will, in the meantime, launch another project, called Plants for Life, under which children and youths are invited to plant trees within all national parks nationwide, in which the first 1,000 children who have participated in the project will each receive free entrance tickets. Statistics have shown that planting trees in a 2.5-acre area helps uphold about 600 cubic metres of water and only two perennials can produce oxygen enough for a human being to survive throughout his/her life. Meanwhile, Benjapol Nakprasert, Director-General of the ministry's Zoological Park Organisation will provide free entry as a present for children at all its seven public zoos nationwide during January 14-15, marking the Children's Day 2017, to create happiness for children, while also providing them with knowledge about various animal species and promoting their awareness on love and conservation of animals. "All children with the height of 135 centimetres and under, or those with student ID or wearing school uniforms will be eligible for the free entry to the seven public zoos nationwide, including Dusit Zoo, Khao Keaw Open Zoo, Chiang Mai Zoo, Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, Songkhla Zoo and Ubon Ratchathani Zoo", the senior official explained. At Bangkok's Dusit Zoo, the senior official revealed, there will also be a dinosaur exhibition during January 15-22, 2017, along with an exhibition in remembrance of the late and revered Thai monarch. Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha has presented the motto for the Children's Day 2017 as “Thai children strive to study for national stability”. (TNA)