The USP Lower Campus schools and Centers led by the Institute of Applied Sciences (IAS) held a tree planting program on Friday, 9 October at the USP Lower Campus Foreshore to commemorate Fiji’s 50 years of independence.
During the programme, Chief Guest, Dean of the Faculty of Sciences, Technology and Environment, Associate Professor Anjeela Jokhan, Management, staff members and students of the School of Marine Studies, School of Geography, Earth Sciences and Environment, PACE-SD, IMR and IAS planted the trees at selected locations around the Lower Campus.
Associate Professor Jokhan said that the 50 years of celebration for Fiji is significant in that she had participated in the Independence celebration in 1970 as a young girl. “Of the 32 years that I have been at USP, I have witnessed the immense growth of the University as the nation Fiji grows and develop,” she said. She added that it is important, that positive messages are passed on to the next generation on honouring and contributing effectively to the nation as a whole.
The Acting Director, IAS Dr Korovulavula stated that the trees planting contributes to the Fiji Government’s Ministry of Forestry’s goal of increasing the planting of native trees and promotes environmental conservation and ecological sustainability. “This tree planting initiative is the result of IAS’s experience through implementation of the RESCCUE and Fiji Ridge to Reef projects which promotes resilience to Climate Change and sustainable land use practices through biodiversity conservation,” he said.
Dr Korovulavula thanked the Chief Guest and the Lower Campus Schools, Centres and Institutes’ Management and staff for their participation.
