Two thousand Aleppo Pine trees, which are indigenous to Malta, have been planted by HSBC staff at Salina Park, which is an extension of Kennedy Grove, during the first major afforestation project from the HSBC Cares For The Environment Fund (HCEF).

The event was part of the Tree4U campaign to which the HSBC Cares For The Environment Fund committed Lm15,000 last January.

“Today has been both a worthwhile and enjoyable experience for HSBC staff members and their families. Together we have seen the financial support given to the Tree4U campaign by the HSBC Cares For The Environment Fund translate into action,” said HSBC Cares For The Environment Fund director Godfrey Swain.

He continued: “With the excellent support of our employees, we are helping to make a real difference to the quality of life in Malta.”

The Tree4U campaign encourages individuals to buy and plant their own tree in any of the selected areas chosen by the government for afforestation projects. Every tree will have a tag attached to it indicating the individual who has presented it. Following the donation from the HSBC Cares For The Environment Fund, every bank employee is having a tree planted in his or her name.

Environment Minister George Pullicino said: “The Salina Park area was an abandoned piece of land which the government took over as one of its projects to increase afforestation areas in Malta.

“By the end of the project, the area will be five times the size of Kennedy Grove as we know it today. It will incorporate an afforested area, a recreational area for picnics, a play area, a small formal garden and the wetland area which will be restored during the course of the next year and a half.

“In the coming months, the Rural Affairs and the Environment Ministry will be planting more trees at Salina Park, 4,000 trees in Mellieha and 500 trees at the Pinetum in Pietà,” said Mr Pullicino.