Company students, trainees embrace environmental awareness

A group of enthusiastic future employees enjoyed a new environmental awareness program, including a guided tour of the nursery and a tree planting activity.

The female College Preparatory Center (CPC) students and male Industrial Training Center (ITC) trainees attended the program, which is a collaboration between Training and Development (T&D) and the Central Community Services Department (CCSD).

The goal of the program is to educate future generations about CCSD’s efforts toward creating a green environment by introducing people to the nurseries and mangroves, and raises awareness of the Kingdomwide initiative to plant 1 million trees.

Suhad K. Alfaddagh, from CCSD’s Recycling Group, said, “The main objective of the admin area is to promote well-being, including having a green community. This is a great opportunity for CPC and ITC students to learn more about farming, as well as recycling concepts.”

Nursery tour

The tour began at the Dhahran Nursery, which is currently displaying indoor plants such as seasonal flowers and herbs. The nursery promotes innovative ideas and new farming techniques, including no soil hydroponic and vertical farming.

The nursery has a green community wall, a fountain, a Knowledge Plaza, planter boxes, and various greenhouses. It also has a Pattis France Café for community members to take a break and enjoy the refreshing scenery of plants and flowers throughout the area.

Halah T. Al Betairi, acting administrator of Gardening and Sanitation Services, said, “This is a great program for both CPC females and ITC male students in collaboration with T&D, as it raises awareness on the environment. We want this to be a recurring segment in their programs.”

1 million trees

The collaboration coincides with the Kingdom’s 1 million trees initiative that is scheduled to be completed by the end of March.

Al Betairi continued, “CCSD strives to have an overarching theme aligned, as we want to adapt similar tours in our other communities, including Ras Tanura, al Hasa, and Abqaiq’s Heaven and Nature Reserve.”

The students arrived to the plantation area next — one of the many locations of the 1 million trees initiative. Each student contributed by planting a tree.

Excited students

Nujood Al Shraidah, a CPC student, said, “I’m happy to be making an environmental impact such as this one today. We, as the youth, should always engage in similar activities in the community. I feel accomplished.”

Sada, another female CPC student, said that it felt great to be able to give back to the community, and was proud to contribute to a company that she will work for in the future.

Hazzam Al Otaibi, an ITC student, expressed how he felt after he planted a tree. “I’m glad I am able to be a part of such an initiative for the Kingdom, especially to prevent desertification.”

Mohammed Al Yami, a fellow ITC student, explained how he used to plant when he was young, and how he was enthusiastic to see his full-grown tree one day.