Ratoma: 1,000 trees planted by local youth along a ravine exposed to erosion

About 150 young people from Ratoma took part on Saturday in a community reforestation campaign, planting a thousand trees along a ravine regularly exposed to erosion during the rainy season. The operation, organised with support from the town hall and a local environmental association, took place over a morning.

The targeted ravine had seen several minor landslides in recent years, threatening homes built nearby. Organisers chose fast-growing local species with deep roots, said by town-hall technicians on site to be effective at stabilising sloped soil.

For the young participants, the operation also had an educational dimension, with a briefing on the role of roots in preventing erosion held before planting began. Organisers say watering will be monitored for the first six months, entrusted to a group of neighbourhood volunteers.

What the creator verified this Saturday: about 300 saplings effectively planted, observed in the late morning on the most exposed stretch of the ravine. What remains to be confirmed: the total number of saplings planted over the full day, still being counted by organisers.