Bangkok, 8 August 2012 – A reforestation project has been launched to honor Her Majesty the Queen. The project is aimed at planting 800 million saplings throughout the country.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today presided over the opening ceremony of the“800 Million Saplings Reforestation” project on the occasion of HM Queen Sirikit’s 80th birthday anniversary. The Queen’s vital role in reforestation and tree planting campaigns has been widely recognized over the years. The project kicked off in Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai province and will be implemented in all provinces of Thailand. The main purpose of the project is to plant 800 million saplings across the country. Thousands of people in the local areas participated in the event.
The project is scheduled to run for 5 years, from 2012 to 2016. It is aimed at reforesting over 4 million rai of denuded forest with 800 million saplings. In the first year of the project, 20 million saplings are to be planted, 15 million of which will be planted in 10 northern provinces, while the other 5 million will be grown in 67 other provinces of Thailand. The trees to be planted include hairy-leaved Apitong, Siamese Rosewood, Iron Wood and Makamong.
The idea of the project is to raise awareness amongst Thai people about reforestation and to increase forest areas in the country.
