ENVIRONMENT

SIOLIM PLANT SHOW

A few years ago Green Heritage, fanned and fuelled by Alexyz and a few of his close associates, set a plant festival in motion in Siolim. It seemed to have picked up wings and moving on its own now, with the SFX Higher Secondary School encouraging it to grow. Every year the students up a vast show of flowering and ornamental plants, besides bonsai, vegetable carving, flower arrangement, arborics, rangoli, paintings, etc.

Plants shops from various parts of Goa to participate in the show. Plants, pots, fertilisers, seeds, floriculture implements...you name it and they have it on show...including books from the Other India Bookstore.

BRITTO FLORA 2000

The Conservator of Forests, Richard D'Souza, inaugurated BRITTO FLORA 2000 at Mapusa on 23 September. The event comprising of competitions in potted plants, flower arrangements, vegetable carving and card making, demonstration and training in the art of Bonsai and sale of plants, was organised by the PTA of St Britto's High School, Mapusa.

Ornamental, fruit and spice plants, manures, pesticides and garden tools are on sale at four stalls of Mr. Farmer, The Green Triangle, Vikas Nursery and Green Valley. The plants are being sold at reduced rates to encourage environmental awareness. Orchards, anthuriums roses, bonsai and other plants were displayed by students from Saraswat Vidyalaya, Assagao Union High School and St. Mary's Convent High Schools in addition to the host school, St. Britto High School. The Botanical Society of Goa, which is providing technical support to Britto Flora, also put a display of its mobile exhibition in-a-bag.

Speaking at the inauguration Richard D'Souza praised the PTA and St. Britto High School for helping to build up awareness about Nature, He complimented the students for their participation and the high quality of plants on display. He requested the school management to involve itself in the plastic waste disposal campaign starting from 2^nd October. he Forest Department and the Directorates of Parks and WildLife & EcoTourism will be collaborating with the Botanical Society of Goa to present the third annual PLANT UTSAV at Panaji in December. Mr. D'Souza said he would encourage the students to participate in it.

In the potted plants competition, held on the first day, Master John Lobo bagged the first and third prize in the Bonsai category while Master Colin Braganza won the second prize. For the cacti the first and second prizes were bagged by Conard and Colin Braganza. Competitions were also held for flower arrangements, vegetable carving, petals rangoli and card making.

The prizes were disributed by Rozendo Mendonca. Mrs. Yvette Pais welcomed the Chief Guest and praised him for his role in declaring the entire Western Ghat area of Goa as a Wild Life Sanctuary. Roque D'Cruz compered and proposed the vote of thanks

Miguel Braganza