One would have to ask forgiveness for the rather poor pun above, but it certainly has made a difference to see the thousands of trees which have been sponsored and planted around Malta and Gozo.

Last year, the people of Malta and Gozo recoiled in horror on hearing the news that over 3,000 trees and shrubs had been uprooted and destroyed. The trees in question were part of the Foresta 2000 project, which saw the planting of juvenile trees and shrubs on the West slope of Marfa Ridge overlooking Mellieha Bay.

During the night of 8 May, vandals targeted the area and made sure that the fledgling plants could not be saved – they were destroyed. The cost ran into the tens of thousands of liri – Lm40,000.

At the time, the government urged the general public to fight back by planting more trees. In fact, the Environment Minister of the time, George Pullicino grabbed the bull by the horns and demanded a reaction from the people. He told people to send a message to the vandals by sponsoring more trees, even though he could have easily turned to the Finance Ministry for more funds.

The people responded with gusto. Individuals, families, widows and widowers, companies, NGOs and especially children clamoured for the opportunity to sponsor and plant a tree carrying the name tag of the person who planted it or who it is dedicated to.

Shortly under a year since the vandal attack, a total of 16,000 trees have been planted in the area.

One must point out that the country should be grateful to our Italian neighbours for the donation of 8,000 trees and shrubs. But the story does not end there. The public continued with the tree-planting drive at Kennedy Grove, Manikata and Ta’ Qali – the movement has truly gathered in momentum. In addition, the government has planted endemic trees on the slopes of the Maghtab dump. It is an indigenous species with very strong roots that should ensure that the slope is safe, firm and supported against erosion and the poor soil quality due to the rubble debris. Added to that, there has been an afforestation project in Cospicua and Malta has become a greener place as a result.

Both the public and the government deserve praise on two counts; the first for standing up to the perpetrators of the vandal acts and the second for sustaining the drive beyond simply planting replacements.

While Malta as a whole is becoming greener with parks, wooded areas and the simple, yet tasteful, roundabouts and central strips – there is perhaps one more issue that needs to be addressed. Green spaces are at a premium in Malta – especially for workers. We understand that Malta could never have its own “Central Park” and we applaud the fact that new developments such as SmartCity are factoring this element into their design. But a few places near factories, commercial and office areas would go a long way to improve matters. All that is needed is a lawn, a few benches and a fountain or two to allow people to enjoy the outdoors. The introduction of green areas has led to an improvement in the quality of life, but some more minor projects would make all the difference.