The Takoradi Forest District of the Foresty Commission (FC), has led a massive tree planting drive in collaboration with Goshen Global Vision and the European Union (EU), to commemorate the 2026 Tree for Life (T4L) Reforestation Initiative.
The exercise, held at the Subri Forest Reserve in the Wassa East District of the Western Region, brought together a wide range of stakeholders and institutions committed to environmental conservation and sustainable land management. Among those present were representatives from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Okuapaman Foundation, Proforest Ghana, World Vision Ghana, the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Wassa East District Assembly, traditional authorities, schoolchildren, farmers, and staff of the Forestry Commission.
Dignitaries who graced the occasion included the Western Regional Minister, Hon. Joseph Nelson; Nana Ohene Panin of Daboase; Nana Poku Bosompim, Western Regional Manager of the Forest Services Division (FSD); and Ms. Silvia Severi, Head of Cooperation at the EU in Ghana.
Delivering his statement, Hon. Joseph Nelson commended the European Union and Goshen Global Vision for their support towards restoring degraded forest landscapes in the Western Region. He described the initiative as a significant intervention in the fight against climate change, illegal mining, and biodiversity loss.
The Minister noted that the programme would promote agroforestry and contribute to environmental sustainability while improving livelihoods. “Planting a tree is planting hope for Ghana and future generations,” he stated, emphasising that forest conservation is a shared responsibility and urged all participants to actively contribute to the restoration efforts.
Speaking on behalf of the Chief Executive of the FC, Nana Poku Bosompim expressed appreciation to the European Union and Goshen Global Vision for partnering with the Commission to restore degraded portions of the Subri Forest Reserve.
He underscored the critical role trees play in safeguarding water resources, food security, and the environment, stressing that large-scale tree planting is essential to reversing land degradation and mitigating the effects of climate change.“Planting a single tree is not enough; we must all commit to planting and nurturing many more trees to restore our degraded landscapes,” he remarked.
Representing the European Union, Ms. Sylvia Severi reaffirmed the Union’s commitment to supporting the Commission’s forest restoration agenda. She highlighted the EU’s ongoing efforts to rehabilitate degraded forest lands and emphasised the importance of collective action in addressing environmental degradation.
She noted that while every tree planted contributes to environmental recovery, greater impact can only be achieved through sustained and large-scale planting efforts. According to her, the EU aims to support the planting of two million trees across the Western Region as part of its broader environmental sustainability programme.
The event concluded with participants planting over 100,000 tree seedlings in Compartment 221 of the Subri Forest Reserve, a testament of their commitment to restore degraded forest landscapes and securing a greener future for Ghana
