Merida Mayor Mauricio Vila Dosal said the tree planting program that began two weeks ago concluded by exceeding the target of planting over 10,000 trees in 15 days. Vila Dosal closed this reforestation crusade in the Juan Pablo-Nora Park, on 22nd street between 5 and 5A in Juan Pablo II neighborhood.
The mayor reported that there are 30 applications from schools, companies, and associations that want to join reforestation, which will be a permanent task in this administration, whose goal is to reach 60 000, according to the Municipal Green Infrastructure Plan. The goal is to go from 6 to 7 m2 of green area per inhabitant in Merida.
He highlighted the interest that citizens, companies, and associations related to this kind of activites, and proof of that was the engagement of 1,400 volunteers to plant trees. This event, he said, rather than closure, is the beginning of something very important to Merida.
He said that in the two-week sessions, 8,622 trees were planted and 1,886 were “adopted”, gathering a total of 10 ,008, “an unpredecented work performed by the Municipal Sustainable Development Unit”.
During the closing ceremony, held at the Juan Pablo-Nora park in Juan Pablo II neighbourhood; Vila Dosal, accompanied by two of his children, Alejandrina and Mauricio, planted trees of different species like ciricotes, maculis, balche, jabin, among others.
Vila Dosal said that “it’s not just planting, but raising awareness of the importance of mantaining the green infrastructure of the city, we can also improve the legal framework for this issue, which has already been achieved with the Regulation of Urban Trees of Merida, approved a few weeks ago.”
“We want to give a very clear message to citizens: the Green Infrastructure Plan and our commitment to the environment are serious, we want a better Merida to bestow to our children.”
In turn, the mayor said that when the trees planted in the sessions grow, they’ll filter 800,000 liters of air daily, will absorb 500 kg of carbon dioxide, and release more then 354 kilograms of oxygen.
President of Young Business Coordinating Council, Alelí Romero Yam, stressed that the group decided to join the City Council cause, echoing thousands of complaints from locals in social media about the increase of heat.
She said she was surprised 200 people showed up for the initial event. “This is a sign that the municipal project is compatible with the wishes of society”, she pointed out.
She recalled that since she was a deputy she worked to make that reality a norm, which specifies the rights and obligations of citizens, establishes the municipal obligation to have a Green Infrastructure Plan, defines and regulates new and important concepts such as tree transplants, plant health, and the regulation or green areas in constructions and developments, especially in parking lots.
The City Council, she explained, will also put the example of using renewable energy by installing solar panels on the City Hall, to produce clean energy.
Sayda Rodríguez Gómez, the Sustainable Development Unit, around said 19,600 trees were planted during the current administration, and more than 10,000 have been given to “adoption”.
She announced that the Green Infrastructure Plan aims to promote and disseminate among all locals a renewed urban forest culture, to achieve a more wooded Merida, with a greater quality of life.
“This first step was important, involved, and represented a great opportunity to share with the 1,400 people who joined us, a sense of belonging, pride and the chance to work together to achieve a greener Merida” she pointed out.
She emphasized that the donated trees to the Unit in charge were planted and are irrigated. This means, she said, that we already have 29,600 trees planted in the city of the 60,000 that are the target of the Green Infrastructure Plan.
She clarified that in these Foresting Sessions they used the ones available in the municipal nursery-garden, which are balche, jabin, ciricote, sea grape, yellow and purple maculi, som cedars and piches for parks. There also came a small consignment of citrus fruits, which were donated.
She recalled that based on previous studies, the Unit in charge defined the zones with the greatest need for tree planting. The sessions were held in: Caucel Almendros neighborhood, Caucel City, Pacabtun and Fidel Velazques Neighbourhoods, La Castellana, San Ramón Norte, and the central ridge running from Las Haciendas monument to Periférico, Altabrisa, Las Américas, where the activity started, and Juan Pablo II, where it concluded today.
Rodriguez Gomez said that in total there were 25 species listed in the guide of that plan, which is available on the web site of the city www.merida.gob.mx.
Source: Diario de Yucatan.