VOA新闻杂志2023--Kenya Surprises Public with Holiday to Plant Trees

Kenya Surprises Public with Holiday to Plant Trees

The government of Kenya says November 13th will be a public holiday for nationwide tree planting. The surprise holiday is part of a huge plan to grow 15 billion trees by 2023 to fight climate change.

Kithure Kindiki is the Interior Minister of the African nation. He announced the tree planting holiday via the newspaper, which was then posted to social media. The announcement came after a cabinet meeting last week and was led by President William Ruto.

Kindiki says that the government expects the public to plant trees as part of their, "...patriotic¹ contribution to the national efforts to save our Country from the devastating² effects of Climate Change."

The government has saved more than $80 million this year for the project. The goal is to increase tree cover to more than 10 percent. Right now, tree cover is only at seven percent.

The more tree cover, the less carbon in the air because the trees store it. Deforestation, or removing trees, speeds up climate change. It stops photosynthesis³ so the trees cannot take in the carbon. Deforestation often happens alongside burning, which also increases carbon dioxide.

Extreme weather events are worsening because of climate change in the Horn of Africa, which includes Kenya. There, rains have failed the past five seasons, though Kenya is currently experiencing heavy rains and flooding because of the El Nino weather event.

The Kenyan Environment Ministry⁴ said it would supply tree seedlings⁵ to citizens to stand for the government's commitment on climate action.

Soipan Tuya is the Environment Minister. She said, "It is a moment for Kenyans to stand in solidarity⁶ in the defense⁷ of our environment." She referred to the day as "a 'hummingbird⁸' contribution day."

Hummingbirds⁹ are small birds, but they play an important part in the environment by pollinating flowers. The saying means that it seems like a small contribution, but if everyone does it together, the results will be impactful.

Since becoming president in September of 2022, President Ruto has made the National Landscape and Ecosystem¹⁰ Restoration Program a top consideration.

Kenya is part of the British Commonwealth¹¹. King Charles III praised the efforts last week on his first visit to an African nation since becoming King last year.

King Charles said at a state dinner, "Having been planting trees for most of my life, I thought I was doing rather well, but your ambition for planting 15 billion trees makes me admire your efforts."

During his visit, Charles planted a tree at the State House in the capital city of Nairobi. He also planted one in the Karura forest. The forest is associated with Wangari Maathai, the late environmentalist and Nobel prize winner who made the Green Belt Movement, which was the original tree planting effort in Kenya in the 1970s.

Words in This Story

patriotic – adj. showing love and pride in one's country

photosynthesis – n. the process by which plants and some bacteria and protists that contain chlorophyll make carbohydrates¹² from water and from carbon dioxide in the air in the presence of light

contribution – n. the giving or supplying of something (such as money or time) as a part or share

ambition – n. an eager desire for social standing¹³, fame, or power

impactful – adj. of major effect

devastating – adj. causing great damage or harm

pollinate – v. to carry pollen¹⁴ from a male part of a flower to the female part of another flower of the same type

admire – v. to feel respect or approval of someone

1 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

2 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

3 photosynthesis   

n.光合作用

参考例句：

• In apple trees photosynthesis occurs almost exclusively in the leaves.苹果树的光合作用几乎只发生在叶内。
• Chloroplasts are the structures in which photosynthesis happens.叶绿体就是光合作用发生的地方。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 seedlings   

n.刚出芽的幼苗( seedling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Ninety-five per cent of the new seedlings have survived. 新栽的树苗95%都已成活。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• In such wet weather we must prevent the seedlings from rotting. 这样的阴雨天要防止烂秧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 hummingbird   

n.蜂鸟

参考例句：

• The hummingbird perches on a twig of the hawthorn.小蜂鸟栖在山楂树枝上。
• The hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backward.蜂鸟是唯一能倒退向后飞的鸟。

9 hummingbirds   

n.蜂鸟( hummingbird的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious. 蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。
• Why do hummingbirds and gorillas both have backbones? 为什么蜂鸟和大猩猩都有脊骨？

10 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

11 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

12 carbohydrates   

n.碳水化合物，糖类( carbohydrate的名词复数 )；淀粉质或糖类食物

参考例句：

• The plant uses the carbohydrates to make cellulose. 植物用碳水化合物制造纤维素。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All carbohydrates originate from plants. 所有的碳水化合物均来自植物。 来自辞典例句

13 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

14 pollen   

n.[植]花粉

参考例句：

• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。
• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。