Young pupils spent a day among trees, learning about the tree as their most useful friend. With curiosity and wonder they went from stall to stall in groups, looking at plants and unravelling the mystery of each one. This was the children's tree fair organised by the upazila administration on 11 October.

Under the slogan "Know the tree, your dearest friend", the upazila administration held the "Children's Tree Fair" in Singair, Manikganj, to introduce trees to primary school pupils. The day-long fair created a positive stir in the area. It was organised by the Singair upazila administration with help from the upazila agriculture office and education office.

More than a thousand pupils from 97 primary schools in the upazila came to the fair to learn to recognise trees and about their characteristics and benefits. About 282 kinds of trees and vegetables were on show, including forest, fruit, medicinal, flowering, and oil and spice species. Seeds of about 120 kinds of vegetables, crops and trees were also displayed.

Mokarram Hossain, a writer and researcher on nature and the environment, was the keynote speaker. "Work on life and nature is being done at upazila level, and that is a big achievement for us. The pupils who came to this event are well ahead. In future these pupils will play a leading role in planting and conserving trees," he said.

Before that, he took the pupils round the stalls, describing the trees and answering their questions, and then told them about the old trees on the upazila premises. The pupils were delighted to learn new things about trees.

Parvin Akter, headteacher of Singair Model Primary School, said: "Our pupils are thrilled by this novel event. I believe their interest in recognising and learning about trees, and in planting them, will grow further."

Several parents at the fair said: "The idea of teaching pupils about different trees is truly wonderful. Now our children will be keen to garden around the house in their free time, and we can draw them away a little from their addiction to mobile phones and cartoons."

Dipon Debnath, the Singair upazila nirbahi officer, said: "This event is to give pupils an idea, early in life, of the tree as our most useful friend. If we cannot create love for trees, we cannot save the environment. Pupils must also learn about trees and nature to carry out the Honourable Prime Minister's directive that not an inch of land be left empty."

Shukla Sarkar, additional deputy commissioner (Education and ICT), called for the upazila administration's initiative to be spread across the country as a model, and thanked the upazila administration and everyone involved. The event ended with a quiz, and books and trees were given as prizes to those with the most correct answers.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.