Guests and BSU officials plant 35 trees to mark 35th Charter Anniversary

One highlight of the BSU Charter Anniversary celebration was the tree-planting activity of guests and University officials at the proposed tree park near the museum on January 12, 2021.  The 35 trees planted symbolize the 35 years of BSU as a University.

Among the tree species planted are Obdas, Talisai, Raintree, Avocado, Cypress, Salisi, Ipil, Santol, Deguai, Dungon-late, Mangga, Kilog, Big-leaf Mahogany, Tigdog, Bignai, and Yellow Bottle Brush.

"Deguai is a wild fruit bearing tree in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). Raintree, commonly known as Acacia, is a shade and avenue tree. Talisai, also called ‘umbrella tree’ is a multi-purpose shade tree that provides edible seeds, and medicines," said College of Forestry (CF) Dean, Dr. Bao-idang.

The CF, with the assistance of the Landscaping and Land Reservation Units, did all measures to ensure that the trees would survive.

"Planting trees will be a total waste of efforts and resources without maintenance. So a water pipeline was installed seven days after the activity for the regular watering, tree guards were established, and weeding will be done two to three times a year until the tree seedlings will outcompete weeds," Dr. Bao-idang added.

Among the guests who participated in the tree planting activity are Benguet Congressman, Hon. Eric Go Yap; CHED-CAR OIC Director, Dir. Danilo B. Bose; BSU Resident Auditor, Ms. Noemi C. Tagudar; and Kapangan Mayor, Hon. Manny E. Fermin. More trees were planted by CF faculty and staff on January 13-14, 2021 at the remaining space of the proposed tree park.

The seedlings planted were propagated at the CF tree nursery. The nursery also supplies organizations and individuals with seedlings for their tree planting activities.

Nu organizations, basta ada ti request ken nu available jay seedlings, ited mi. Ngem nu walk-in individuals, dagijay ti ilako mi for a minimal fee (We donate to organizations who request for seedlings that are available while we sell to walk-in individuals),” said Mr. Bernard Pablito also known as the ‘Nursery Man.’

Mr. Pablito reported that 1,533 tree seedlings were donated to organizations and government agencies and 1,175 were sold by the nursery in 2020. The trees donated and sold includes Benguet Pine, Gmelina, mahogany, Ipil-ipil, Caliandra, Anchoan-dilau, Benguet Coffee, Bayabas, Papaya, Banaba, Red Bottle Brush, African Tulip, Malatibig, Hauili, Salisi, and Alnus. As of December 2020, the nursery keeps a collection of around 7,000 seedlings of various kinds of trees, bamboo and tea seedlings.

According to Mr. Pablito, the main purpose of the nursery is to serve as laboratory for Forestry students where they will learn to establish a nursery and to propagate seedlings until they are ready for planting. 

Ti i-propropagate mi ditoy Forestry nursery, kaaduan na ket dagijay indigenous, jay nalaka nga makita ditoy ayan tayo kas kuma dagijay Benguet pine, Arabica coffee, Deguia, Alnus, Caliandra, Ipil-ipil, Malatibig ken daduma pay,” Mr. Pablito said.//JSTabangcura