Father Makolo, while quoting Pope Francis' 'Laudato Si' letter of caring for the common home, cautioned that the continued destruction of nature, will force it to turn against mankind.

The priest said this on Tuesday when Adolorata Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) planted 100 seedlings which were donated by the Wildlife Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM).

"Time is now for every Malawian to befriend the environment and care for it, if the country is to avert natural calamities. God created man later after He creating nature so that man could be a custodian of the environment," Father Makolo implored.

He lamented that the once evergreen district of Thyolo, has lost its beauty since people have plundered the forests including the trees in the estates.

Last week, President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera launched the 2023/2024 tree planting season where he called for concerted efforts in planting more trees and caring for them to survival.

Headteacher for the school, Andson Chang'anda, said the exercise was aimed at replenishing the bare grounds whose trees the school cut down due to old age.

Chang'anda assured that strategies are already in place to care for the trees to ensure a desirable survival rate.

"Students will be engaged to water and cover the trees so that they survive," he said.

On his part, the school's Wildlife Club patron, Steve Chilomo, has since hailed WESM for donating the natural trees to the school.

Chilomo has therefore pledged that about 50 club members including all the school' students are set to care for the trees.

This season, Malawi is targeting to plant 34 million tree seedlings.

The target represents a 32 percent decrease from last season’s 50 million tree seedlings planted.