Showing posts with label National Tree Planting Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label National Tree Planting Day. Show all posts

March 24 - National Tree Planting Day in Uganda

    Posted on March 24, 2022  


This is an update of my post published on March 24, 2011:




Trees are super important for many reasons. Depending on the tree, a tree can provide shade, shelter from rain and snow, homes for animals, wood and paper, and food for humans and animals. Trees take carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas—out of the atmosphere, and they put oxygen into the atmosphere. They hold soil in place and therefore prevent erosion. They provide wind breaks and natural noise barriers.  They are beautiful!


Lions in trees?
Yes - at least in Uganda!


All of the fruits above grow on Ugandan trees.
Below, star fruit in Uganda.




Many countries have an “Arbor Day” or Tree Planting Day that urges people to plant and care for trees. Today is the Arbor Day of the African nation of Uganda.





Learn more about Uganda

This east African nation is landlocked, which means that it doesn't border on an ocean. However, it does border on the largest tropical lake in the world, Lake Victoria. It is sometimes called the Pearl of Africa.

Uganda is a great place to go on safari and see chimpanzees, elephants, hippos, lions, buffalos, more than a thousand species of birds, and maybe even a leopard or cheetah. Of course lots and lots more animals live there, too! Go here for information about Ugandan wildlife - and scroll down for photos and more info!


Here is a great Uganda tourism video. 


Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda



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July 22 - African Holidays!

 Posted on July 22, 2021

This is an update of my post published on July 22, 2010:

There are three holidays in three different African nations, today:

Revolution Day in The Gambia




National Tree Planting Day in the Central African Republic



Birthday of King Sobhuza II in Eswatini



The Gambia, which is the smallest nation on the mainland continent of Africa, runs on either side of the river “The Gambia” and is surrounded almost entirely by Senegal. On this day The Gambia commemorates the 1994 ousting of the Jawara government by the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council. According to Wikipedia, the AFPRC, led by Yahya Jammeh, moved toward making the Gambia more democratic, and there were several elections that outsiders rated as fair. However, Jammeh began to abuse his power, imprisoning political opponents. In other words, he became something of a dictator!


After ruling The Gambia for 22 years, Jammeh lost an election. He declared the results void and called for another election. A coalition of West African nations staged a military intervention, and Jammeh ended up conceding the loss and leaving the nation.

It just goes to show how difficult it is to maintain democracy! Many folks just love power, and when they get power, they HATE to lose it!

By the way, back in 2013 Jammeh decreed that The Gambia would not longer be a member of the British Commonwealth - and would never again rejoin. However, in 2018 - and under a new president, The Gambia DID rejoin the Commonwealth.

Here are three photos of The Gambia:





The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked nation right in the center of Africa. Although it is one of the poorest nations in Africa and the world, it has potential in eco-tourism, because it has so many rain forests and so much wildlife that visitors will want to see.



Planting trees to keep the nation green is a good way of protecting these important features! So happy National Tree Planting Day to folks in the CAR!
















Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) is another tiny country (like the Gambia) that is landlocked (like the CAR). In fact, it is almost entirely surrounded by South Africa. 

On this day an important former king (pictured left) is honored. 

King Sobhuza II ruled 82 years and 9 months (although part of that rule was when he was very young, and his grandmother acted as regent). This is the longest precisely dated reign on record.

King Sobhuza married 70 wives and had 210 children. When he died in 1982, he had over one thousand grandchildren!

Here are a couple of landscapes of Eswatini:








 
Find the African nations the Gambia, Eswatini (Swaziland), and the Central African Republic on this interactive map by moving the cursor over it.






Did you know that yams, watermelon, black-eyed-peas, coffee, cola, and okra - and loads of other foods and beverages - came from Africa? 

Here are some recipes from The Gambia, Eswatini, and the Central African Republic.





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