22.03.2019
In the highlights of the international day of forests 2019, the Gabonese ministry of forests and environment, in charge of the climate plan, and the FAO organised 4 days of activities related to the theme “Forests and education”. ATIBT participated to the open access day.
Yesterday, 21 march, in the highlights if the international days of forests 2019 in Gabon, the ministry of forests and environment, in charge of the climate plan, and the FAO organised an open access day related to the theme: “Forests and education – Learn to love forests”. The day was demarcated by an exposition in stands of forest stakeholder activities, and by a conference with about 10 presentations in the auditorium of the ministry. Youth education has played a central role in the activities of the international days of forests this year in Gabon.
The ATIBT presentation was about corporate social responsibility and education. ATIBT informed the audience about forest certification and about the different education activities that are put in place by forestry companies. Forestry companies in Gabon train their workers “on the job” for all of their activities, from compass users and botany specialists, until loggers, drivers of engines and even saw sharpeners. Amongst their activities for their local development programs they can also provide school furniture and other materials. Certified companies take some more steps: they inform their workers about security aspects in their work, and provide training on first aid gestures and fire control, the build schools for the workers’ children. They also organise environmental education sessions, for example about anti-poaching activities.
Other presentations treated subjects like the new forestry law project, biodiversity, traditional forest usage and traditional medicine, and the role of forests with regard to climate change.
