Tyrone star kickstarts bid to plant more than 1M trees in Kenya

ONE of Tyrone’s best-known players, Conor Meyler, has recently returned from an historic trip to Africa, where he kickstarted a bid to plant more than a million trees to combat climate change.

Meyler joined 50 leading GAA stars to compete in the first-ever ‘Plant the Planet Games’ in Nairobi, Kenya, on a visit where they also planted the first thousand trees in a Gaelic Players’ Association-backed tree planting effort to tackle climate change in Africa.

Each of the participating players, including inter-county hurlers, footballers and camogie players from 23 different counties, were tasked with raising €10,000 in sponsorship to support the effort. The group’s collective total has already topped half a million euro, with funds still coming in.

The initiative was organised by Galway dual player, Alan Kerins’ ‘Warriors for Humanity’ in conjunction with development charity, ‘Self Help Africa’, and is also being supported by Kenyan Olympic medallist and world record holding runner, David Rudisha.

In a social media post, Mr Meyler said, “The work of Self Help Africa and Brighter Communities Worldwide goes a long way in fighting poverty and climate change. The goal of planting one million trees will continue to happen and grow over time with the generosity of everyone who has already donated and continued to do so.”

Amongst the participants in the inaugural ‘Plant the Planet Games’ with Conor Meyler, were Limerick Hurler, Sean Finn; Wexford’s Matthew O’Hanlon; Kerry’s Stefan Okunbor; Clare’s Podge Collins; Kilkenny’s Grace Walsh; and Niamh O’Sullivan from Meath.

The players took to the field for a series of exhibition games at Nairobi Rugby Club, before visiting projects being implemented by Self Help Africa in Kenya, and planting trees at Baringo in the country’s drought affected Rift Valley.

To find out more about Self Help Africa’s efforts to plant millions of trees in Africa visit www.selfhelpafrica.org.