The Central Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has intensified environmental education in schools to encourage pupils to adopt good environmental habits and participate in tree-planting activities aimed at addressing climate change.
The initiative formed part of the Authority’s efforts to nurture a new generation of environmentally conscious and responsible citizens.
As part of the exercise, the Authority embarked on an outreach programme at Ajumako Mando in the Ajumako Enyan Essiam District to promote environmental awareness and sustainable practices among school pupils.
The engagement, which involved pupils from Mando Methodist Basic School and Mando D/A Basic School on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, formed part of activities marking this year’s World Environment Day.
Acting Regional Director’s Remarks
Explaining the rationale behind the exercise, the Acting Central Regional Director of the EPA, Dr Daniel Nartey, emphasised that children were the leaders of tomorrow.
“We believe it is important to promote tree planting and educate pupils on good environmental habits because children are the future custodians of the environment,” he stated.
He added: “There is an adage that says, ‘Catch them young and they shall be yours forever.’ Instilling environmental values at an early age helps create a generation that is conscious of and committed to protecting environmental resources.”
Dr Nartey further explained that trees absorb carbon dioxide, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help mitigate the effects of climate change, hence the Authority’s decision to provide seedlings for the pupils to plant.
District Education Office Representative
The Finance and Administration Officer at the Ajumako District Education Office, Mr Fred Incoom, who represented the District Director of Education, reflected on the national theme for this year’s World Environment Day, “Building a Climate-Resilient Ghana through Responsible Stewardship.”
He said the theme placed a responsibility on all Ghanaians, including school pupils, to play active roles in building a climate-resilient Ghana through responsible stewardship.
He encouraged the pupils to embrace the EPA’s initiative, learn the importance of protecting nature, plant trees to help mitigate climate change and become responsible citizens who cared for the environment.
A Programme Officer at the Central Regional EPA Office, Mr Haneef Abeiku Forson, said the Authority had targeted pupils at the basic school level to help them understand climate change and its impacts.
He noted that rainfall patterns in the country had changed as a result of climate change, a situation that underscored the need to instil climate consciousness in young people.
Mr Forson advised the pupils to become ambassadors of the EPA’s environmental protection campaign by educating their peers on the dangers of littering and indiscriminate waste disposal.
“As ambassadors, you have a duty to educate your parents on the need to separate household waste into plastic, organic, solid and liquid categories. Additionally, learn and practise the five ‘R’ principles: Refuse, Reuse, Reduce, Recycle and Repurpose,” he said.
Seedlings Presented to Schools
A variety of seedlings, including pawpaw, coconut, acacia and mango trees, were presented to the two schools through Messrs Ernest de-Graft Enyan and Solomon Acquah who are the headteachers of the D/A and Methodist schools respectively for planting on the school compounds to mitigate the effects of climate change, provide fruits to the pupils in the school as well provide shade and help reduce temperatures.
EPA-branded souvenirs were also presented to pupils who correctly answered questions during an open quiz held as part of the programme.
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