2 companies replenish degraded galamsey sites in E/R

As part of efforts to be responsible to the environment, Pernod Ricard Ghana, producers of wines and spirits in collaboration with Aroucha Ghana, a group against illegal mining, have organised a tree planting exercise at a former galamsey site at Adensu Sagyimase in Kyebi in the Eastern Region.

The tree planting exercise was part of activities to celebrate the company’s “Responsible Day” which was set aside globally to enable all employees of the company across the world, to be responsible to the environment in the communities they operate.

The exercise was also part of efforts to help the country to recover its vegetation cover lost through illegal mining activities in some parts of the country.

Themed “Helping to protect and restore nature and biodiversity,” employees of Pernod Ricard and Aroucha Fhana planted 2,400 trees including Mahogany, Ofram, Amere on a 12-and a-half acre piece of land.

During the exercise, the Sustainability and Responsibility Manager for Pernod Ricard, Eunice Osei Tutu, said the day was set aside globally to enable employees of her outfit to set aside their jobs and commit their time and resources towards supporting their communities and help to restore nature and biodiversity.

She stated that every year, Pernod Richard companies partnered with local partners to a variety of community projects, indicating that this year, the tree planting exercise was slated for all communities where the company was situated.

Ms Tutu said per the theme for the celebration of the day, the team chose to plant the trees at the former mining site to help to reclaim its vegetation cover, adding that her outfit partnered with Aroucha Ghana to embark on the restoration project.

According to her, after the exercise, Aroucha Ghana would continue to maintain the trees planted and would ensure they grow well.

She said one of the things that motivated the exercise was “because we get most of our raw materials from nature,”  adding, “hence Pernod Ricard thought it prudent to engage in such tree planting exercise to help to reclaim nature that has been lost through human activities.”

For his part, the National Director of Aroucha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, said due to some illegal mining activities, there had been a lot of abandoned pits, which were dangerous to the lives of community members in the area.

He said the tree planting exercise by Pernod Ricard would help to recover the land’s former vegetation cover, adding that they had provided the resources to ensure the vegetation cover for the area was restored.

He disclosed that Aroucha Ghana, through its collaboration with Pernod Ricard had levelled and treated spots where trees would be planted and were also working with community members and forestry staff to complete the tree planting activity.

FROM AMA TEKYIWAA AMPADU AGYEMAN, KYEBI