Last Tuesday, the 30th of May of 2006, a reforestation was carried out in the Bosque de Tlalpan, within the framework of the 2005 - 2006 First Germination Contest.

This contest took place in 27 grade schools (of which 16 are located in the Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Mexico and 11 are in rural areas in Villa del Carbón en the State of Mexico and Talalpujahua in the State of Michoacan, one private secondary school (‘Plantel Azteca’) and two institutions dedicated to providing assistance to children (the ‘Casa de la Amistad [Friendship Home] for children with cancer and the ‘Casa de la Sal’ [the ‘House of Salt’] for children that HIV). The children in the sixth grade of primary school and the third year of secondary school provide life to oak tree seeds in the mini tree nursery – garden or seedbeds that were installed in their schools 8 months ago. Many of the young trees reach a height of more than 12 inches (30 cms) and the children feel proud to participate and very enthusiastic with their small and growing trees.

Mexican boys and girls have germinated the seeds and cared for their trees, constantly full of enormous energy and great new ideas: they have conducted temporary expositions within the mini tree nursery gardens regarding the forestry theme, implementing theatrical presentations, designing comics in connection with the contest theme, among other activities. These boys and girls are capable of giving life to a new forest future for the country; they are capable of dreaming of a nation that is responsible and respectful of its environment and are also capable of creating a better Mexico. The Germination Contest has opened up an area and space where Mexican boys and girls can have fun, and where they can learn and let their imaginations fly free.

This achievement that has been accomplished by the children has reached its climax with the reforestation of the ‘Bosque de Tlalpan. An approximate number of close to 2,000 people were present, counting students, teachers and parents, and all of them together created a new forest at the same time that they also began a new stage of their own lives.

The event began at 8:45 in the morning, and they planted their oaks for two hours, in the different plots that the ‘Bosque’ had already assigned to this effect. When the planting came to an end, they were treated to a nutritional lunch that contained: a croissant filled with ham and cheese, a Marinela product, some Barcel potato chips and flavored Alpura milk. After enjoying their lunch, the award ceremony took place and with this, the event came to an end.