For a green Kathmandu

KATHMANDU, FEB 04 – Children for Green New Nepal (CGNN), a group of aspiring young individuals who share a collective desire to raise awareness on environmental issues among school children and local communities, is organising a green campaign in Kathmandu, designed to establish green spaces in all corners of the Valley. The organisation  hopes to plant 1,000 trees all around the city—with help from local communities—by the end of 2013, and is set to launch this initiative by having an ‘artistic tree gala’ on February 8.

 

The event, All Together For Trees is set to be a celebration of the environment, and will feature community members, children and artists, who will all be getting together and spreading word on the importance of trees at the Basantapur Durbar Square. The message CGNN wants to send across all spheres of Nepali society is very clear: trees are important for all of us. “Trees are the lungs of our city,” say CGNN members, and they hope to inspire everyone to join in the task of building a green city.

 

The organisation has been working since November 2012 to establish and outline their green dream, and to promote this ‘artistic tree campaign,’ which will be coming together at the February 8 event. Various schools and clubs have been working to create trees out of recycled material—cardboard, paper, old pipes, textiles and any other recyclable materials that may be lying about—and these will be exhibited at the gala. The participants have also been writing letters to the Minister of Environment, Transport and Public Health, citing their reasons for wanting more trees planted around the city. These letters will be read aloud at the All Together For Trees gala.