Some 1,500 students from EkoSkola have planted HSBC’s allocation of trees at the Xrobb l-Ghagin Nature Park, in an event to mark HSBC Cares For the Environment Fund’s 2007 of the 34U afforestation campaign.

During this event, a mixture of 5,000 indigenous trees and shrubs were planted, including the Holm Oak, Mediterranean Dwarf Palm, Myrtle, Lentisk, Olive, Bianca, and Wolfbane. The Xrobb l-Ghagin Nature Park is managed by Nature Trust and maintained by the Parks Department.

HSBC CEO Shaun Wallis said: “The EkoSkola Programme is a wonderful initiative to encourage young people to do something about our Environment. This massive tree planting exercise of some 5,000 trees by some 1,500 students over this week is a clear commitment by the next generation to making Malta greener for the future: Trees speak louder than words! HSBC will have spent Lm75,000 over three years paying for over 20,000 trees and shrubs, many of which have been planted on this site. It is pleasing to see many other companies doing this also.”

Nature Trust (Malta) thanked HSBC for its environmental concepts and for being one of the lead companies on the island to contribute significantly and tangibly towards Malta’s natural heritage.

Rural Affairs and Environment Minister George Pullicino thanked HSBC for its constant and important commitment to Malta’s afforestation. Apart from the significant contribution to the embellishment of the new recreational space at Xrobb l-Ghagin, through the partnership with EkoSkola, HSBC is also strengthening a culture in favour of the environment among Maltese children, he said.

EkoSkola is one of the five educational programmes run by the international organisation Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), represented in Malta by Nature Trust. The programme is run in 60 schools around Malta and Gozo, with the number of participating schools on the increase.

The creation of the Xrobb l-Ghagin Nature Park and Sustainable Development Centre has been partly supported by a grant of circa EUR635,000 to Nature Trust (Malta) from the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. The objective of the project is to increase the use of renewable energy, wastewater management and safeguarding biodiversity. This includes the planting of trees and the refurbishment and conversion of the existing building to a dormitory and classrooms. There will also be the installation of a water treatment facility and the installation of renewable energy based electricity production HSBC is also supporting the project through its contribution to the afforestation part of the project.