Arusha honours Wildlife Day by planting 2,030 medicinal plants

ARUSHA: OVER 2,030 medicinal plant seedlings have been planted at Mringa Secondary School in Arusha Region, marking the opening of the World Wildlife Day celebrations.

Arusha District Commissioner, Modest Mkude, represented Arusha Regional Commissioner, Amos Makala in the exercise and thanked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism for conducting the environmental conservation exercise by planting medicinal plant seedlings and urged the Tanzania Forest Service (TFS) to provide students with medicinal plant seedlings to plant in their homes.

Mkude also said that the slogan of World Wildlife Day, which is “medicinal plants, and spices: taking care of health, preserving heritage and improving lives,” is a great sign that human life depends on the life of Wildlife.

He added that environmental conservation should be emphasized, especially for the current generation, so that medicinal plants continue to exist for the next generation. It is better to teach young people how to best preserve the environment using medicinal plants.

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In addition, Mkude visited the exhibition pavilions at Nanenane grounds to obtain various information from ministry departments, institutions under the ministry and those outside the ministry, as well as stakeholders in medicinal plants.

Welcoming the District Commissioner, Director of the Wildlife Department, Dr Alex Lobora, who represented the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, said that wildlife has been using medicinal plants before humans, so medicinal plants help us in preserving the environment but are also a medicine for humans and animals.