A total of 1,000 trees were planted by a group of 175 students from the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) on Sunday as part of a clean-up and beautification project at Caura Valley, El Dorado.The project, which aligns itself with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's mission to clean up and beautify T&T, was a joint venture among Finance Minister Winston Dookeran, the University of the Southern Caribbean and the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation.Councillor for the area, Sookdeo Barath said after he received a telephone call from USC's Professor Linley Beckles, during which Beckles expressed a desire for students to get involved in an environmental project, the Caura Valley seemed to be the best choice.Beckles said the students' participation was part of a project for their philosophy of service class."Every one of us has the responsibility to maintain the creation that God gave us," he told students.
In his address to students, Barath said the project comprised three phases in which trees would be planted along seven miles of road leading up to the Caura river site. The first phase began with Sunday's tree-planting exercise along the first three miles of the route.The second phase of the project was designated for the planting of ornamental plants and would be followed by a third phase when the remaining four miles would be planted with 1,500 trees.The trees, which Barath described as medium-sized poui trees were donated by the Forestry Division of the Ministry of Agriculture.