Banda Aceh,     - Aceh Green Initiative (AGI) activists on Wednesday planted 5,000 trees in Banda Aceh city and Aceh Besar district as part of the fifth anniversary of the tsunami that hit Aceh in  2004.

     The activity was not only participated in by AGI volunteers but also by foreigners, college students and local people.

     AGI's chief of documentation and publication affairs, Ina, said here the activity was held to commemorate the fifth year after the tsunami as well as to build more green places in Banda Aceh city which had been severely damaged by the tsunami.

     "We chose the two areas for this tree planting program because there are many dry land plots there after the Tsunami hit Aceh province in 2004," Ani said.

     The tree planting program, she added, was also designed  to encourage the younger generation to plant trees and conserve the environment.

     Ina explained AGI personnel distributed 1,000 tree seedlings on Wednesday ( ) to people passing through Simpang Lima road in Banda Aceh city.    

     On December 28-29, she added, AGI personnel had also distributed 1,800 tree seedlings to some volunteers where each of them had two seedlings to be planted in their own neighborhoods.

     Some 500 seedlings were distributed in three villages, namely Labui, Jackie Chen housing complex and Ulee Lheue while the other 700 seedlings were planted in the Lambajat area.

-Antara, 31 December 2009-