Forestry Focus, the annual event held by the Forestry Department to heighten awareness of the importance of the forests to St.Vincent and the Grenadines is being held here this week.{{more}}

A week of activities has been arranged to mark the occasion, which is being celebrated under the theme “Forest livelihood opportunities for the benefit of our communities”.

Brian Johnson, Director of Forestry, said Forestry Focus is used to bring into focus particular areas of development in Forestry that have some measure of significance to members of the general public.

Based on the accumulated experience of the Department, an approach has been used to target specific communities as a more effective way of creating an impact. Some of the major rural communities have been earmarked this year.

This year’s objectives will focus on providing persons with knowledge on how to fully utilize the resources provided by the forests to earn a living. The Forestry Department said that is one way of assisting with the national poverty alleviation drive while sustaining the nation’s resources.

On Sunday, September 19, a church service was held, while a radio address was delivered by Montgomery Daniel, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, yesterday to officially open the week.

Today, hikes will be done in all the forest ranges to view some of the livelihood programmes and tomorrow a radio programme will be done by a Senior Forestry Officer.

Thursday will see the staging of an exhibition at the Old Public Library; Friday, a social event at Mt.Wynne; and Sunday, an interactive radio programme on Hitz Talk.