The Association of Small Scale Enterprises in Tourism (ASSET), over the weekend, donated 1357 tree species to the Abuko Nature Reserve's newly extended area in Abuko.

Speaking during the planting exercise, Modou Lamin Kinteh, the chairman of Asset Climate Care Group, said that the purpose of ASSET's donating such indigenous tree species to the country's nature reserve is that they are dealing with wild creatures. Alpha Jallow, director, Department of Parks and Wildlife Management, expressed appreciations for having those trees donated to his department by ASSET. He said that the donated plant species have lots of benefits to both in nature conservation particularly animals living in the park. He highlighted the problems such as intruders who enter the park to play football, noting that they have had several sensitization programs with the people living in the community regarding the matter.

Jallow urged people to maintain the newly introduced seedlings. He informed them that the species are of different types, ranging from G'Maline, cashew, among other exotic tree species. For his part, Sutay Sowe, the president of the society of the Gambian Sculptures, noted that there is no better way than planting trees in environmental protection and thanked ASSET for the support.

Babou Boob, the development officer, Asset Climate Care Group, said the donation of the different species of trees has now become an annual program in their calendar, saying it started last year and that they are doing it on a mini scale due to constraints they have with their committee. He stated that there are plans for them to plant a large number of trees next year, which have already been nursed.