Ion Ceban invites students to plant trees as part of an ecology lesson
Chișinău City Hall has purchased 15,000 fruit trees, which will be planted on Friday, November 20, with help from local schoolchildren. To allow students to take part in the initiative, mayor Ion Ceban has announced a shortened school schedule.
"Dear students, dear parents, on November 20th—a day with a shortened school schedule—we will hold an 'Ecological Hour.' Together, we will plant many, many, many trees. The City Hall has procured over 15,000 fruit trees, and we will carry out this 'Ecological Hour' together," the mayor announced on Monday, November 9, in a video message posted on social media.
The mayor said that students will participate in the planting, following the same model used for previous cleanup campaigns—an approach for which he was previously criticized by representatives of civil society.
"During this period, we are planting thousands of trees and shrubs throughout the city; together with the students—just as we did during the major cleanup—we are mobilizing to make our city greener. We have several goals in mind: for instance, we are also supporting local producers—though I will provide more details on that later. We also look forward to hearing your ideas," the mayor noted.
Back in the spring, Ion Ceban found himself at the center of a controversy after announcing a contest with cash prizes for students who participated in a sanitation campaign. On that occasion, too, the school shortened the schedule.
While the mayor emphasized the importance of student involvement in civic activities, the public association "Solidary Parents" and the Ombudsman pointed out that such activities should not interfere with the educational process. Some parents expressed a similar view, noting that while students should indeed participate in community initiatives, this should not come at the expense of their scheduled classes. ***
November is traditionally dedicated to greening and afforestation activities. The Ministry of Environment has announced a tree-planting event to be held on Saturday, November 14, in the village of Pogănești, Hâncești district, as part of the "Forest Generation" campaign.
Volunteers will plant poplars across 40 hectares and will also have the opportunity to take part in a charitable initiative by donating clothing to those in need. In a message posted on social media, Minister of Environment Gheorghe Hajder urged citizens to participate in the afforestation efforts organized this autumn—whether in Pogănești or in other localities across the country.
To date, trees have been planted over an area of 24,000 hectares as part of the "Forest Generation" campaign, an initiative launched by President Maia Sandu. The program aims to plant and restore 145,000 hectares of forest by 2032. This initiative is part of the authorities' efforts to increase the forest cover of the Republic of Moldova, which currently stands at just over 11%—significantly below the European Union average of more than 35%.
