Malawi Scotland Partnership programs coordinator Hendrix Nkhata told zodiak-online today Friday that trees in Thambani forest have been depleted due to timber and charcoal burning hence a need to establish woodlots for tree regeneration.

"This was once a mighty forest reserve but now we can see bare hills as a result of wanton cutting down of trees for charcoal and timber. So, we are here to plant trees in village woodlots to reclaim that lost glory", he said.

Gerald Kamanga, Mwanza district forestry officer said Thambani forest reserve has a ten thousand six hundred hectares of forest cover and thirty percent of that has been depleted due to charcoal and timber business.

"As forestry department we are worried with continued cutting down of trees in Thambani forest reserve and we would want to encourage people and organizations to cultivate a culture of developing woodlots so they can harvest for timber", he said.

Taking his turn Tikambe Youth Organization programs coordinator David Samikwa say his organization has spent five hundred thousand kwacha to buy the one thousand tree seedlings from Tiyanjane youth club with an aim of empowering the group to take responsibility of the trees.

"As youths we need to encourage each other to conserve the environment, so we are here to plant trees in partnership with other fellow youths", he said.

Meanwhile Senior chief Nthache has warned of stiffer punishments to all those found cutting down trees which include prosecution by the law enforcers.

The tree planting exercise started with a clean up at Mwanza boma as part of the presidential clean up campaign aimed at keeping the surroundings clean.