STAFF at Sandals and Beaches resorts joined more than 500 million people worldwide to mark ‘Earth Day’ last Sunday with tree-planting in communities in which properties are located.

Undertaken as a regional activity, the tree-planting was consistent with the company’s environmental stewardship programme. Group director of environmental affairs at Sandals, Richard May, reiterated the importance of trees to the environment.

“Trees provide tremendous environmental benefits affecting local climate, reduction of air pollution and soil and water protection,” he emphasised.

Partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture’s Forestry Department, hundreds of trees were distributed to the resorts and were planted by staff at various sites in host communities. In some instances, the hotels coordinated their activities with those of local environmental groups.

In Ocho Rios, team members from Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Grande Ocho Rios, and Beaches planted 100 forest trees in the Dunn’s River Watershed while their colleagues in Montego Bay planted trees at the Success Primary and the Happy Venture Basic schools in the Flankers and Lilliput communities in St James respectively with the help of several residents, teachers and students from the communities.

Speaking at the end of the project, regional public relations manager for Sandals MoBay’s region, Marlon Tingling, urged members of the communities to take care of the trees emphasising their role in the protection of the earth.

A beach clean-up and tree-planting was also undertaken at the Whitehouse community in Montego Bay, St James, through the coordination of the regional environment, health and safety manager, Anna Simmonds. The Sandals Montego Bay hotel team also planted trees at the Happy Ventures Basic School that the hotel adopted in that resort town.

Within the Negril area, the combined efforts of staff from Sandals Negril, Beaches Negril, and Beaches Sandy Bay saw trees being planted around the perimeter of the Rock Spring Primary School and a watershed adjacent to the school.

Meanwhile, members of the Tourism Action Club at the New Hope Junior High and Primary School and the Landscaping Department staff from Sandals Whitehouse European Village and Spa Resort, planted new shade trees on the school’s compound. The school’s Tourism Action Club, which was organised by Sandals Whitehouse, will maintain the trees.

Earth Day, which officially began in 1970, is intended to create awareness of and appreciation for the earth’s environment. Chief executive officer of Sandals and Beaches resorts, Adam Stewart, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the annual observance saying it was “in accordance with the organisation’s environmental charter”. All hotels in the chain are already Green Globe-certified.