In Five Years Time ‘Odum’ Tree Would Be Extinct – CEO of Bunso Ecopark Reveals

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The chief Executive officer of Bunso Ecopark a tourist site at Bunso in the Abuakwa South municipality in the eastern region, Mr Akuffo Asare has revealed that in no time, the famous odum tree would go extinct.

According to him, the rampant felling of Milicia regia one of two trees of Milicia known as “odum” in Ghana, will render the famous Odum extinct.

In a studio discussion with Oppong Kyekyeku on Our Land our future on Radio 1 100.7FM, Mr Akuffo Asare maintained that the demand for Odum tree will force the citizenry to resort to the use of pawpaw trees in roofing their building when odum is no more.

“In five years time you won’t get odum in Ghana here. Now you can’t get Odum, Mahogany is also rare. You can’t get ‘Danhoma’ (Piptadeniastrum africanum i.e. African Greanheart). I won’t be surprise to see chainsaw operators resort to cutting pawpaw trees for roofing” – Mr Akuffo Asare said.

Moreover, he revealed the the oldest ‘Danhoma’ tree (African Greenheart) in Africa is at Bunso Ecopark which is 202 years and maintained that the next endangered trees are mahogany and the African Greenheart.

Mr Akuffo Asare is noted for his expertise in building or constructing Canopy walkways, not only in Ghana but in Africa as a whole.

What To Know About Bunso Ecopark

The Bunso Ecopark is one of Ghana’s most beautiful forest reserves. It is also one of the least known forest resources in the country that contains both in-situ and ex-situ plant species. The ecopark is a protected tropical reserve spanning an area of 16.5 hectares approximately 40 acres of land.

Half of the area is a semi-deciduous and in-situ while the other half is made up of ex-situ species introduced into Ghana by the Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute.

The Bunso Ecopark is home to many plant species including fruit trees, medicinal plants, timber and non-timber, shrubs, climbers and herbs. Several species of birds, insects, reptiles and mammals also inhabit the arboretum.

In the late 1999’s, the ecopark, formerly arboretum started gaining some attention and was developed into an ecotourism site through the support of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Nature Conservation Research Centre, CSIR-Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute and the United States Agency for International Development. The ecotourism site was opened officially to tourists and other users on the 5th March, 2003.

By: Nana Gyasi | Radio 1 | Ghana