THE Sandals Foundation on Wednesday planted more than 300 trees across the island, joining millions of individuals and entities around the world in the celebration of Earth Day.

Twelve different types of forestry, fruit and flowering trees donated by the Forestry Department were planted at selected sites within the host communities of Sandals Resorts in St Ann, St James and Westmoreland.

The largest numbers of trees – just under 200 seedlings of Timber, Blue Mahoe, Spanish Elm, Bitter Damsel, among others – were planted by the Sandals and Beaches resorts in the St Ann and St Mary region through the combined efforts of 30 team members from the resorts, along with the Forestry Department, the National Environment and Planning Agency, and White River Watershed and Ocho Rios Marine Park.

In the West, the Montego Bay team spent the early morning planting more than 20 trees, including Almond, Apple, Poui and Poor Man’s Orchid, while educating eager students at Spot Valley High and John Rollins Primary about the importance of sound environmental practices.

Sandals Foundation co-ordinator Heidi Clarke, who assisted at the schools, was delighted with the turnout across the island.

“Looking after the environment is one of the Sandals Foundation’s biggest priorities. Jamaica is blessed with some of the world’s most beautiful but delicate surroundings and it’s up to us – as organisations, communities and individuals to work together to preserve and protect as much as we can. Planting trees and educating our children in particular about the roles that they can play in a well-preserved environment is so important.”

Principal of John Rollins Primary, Yvonne Wisdom, who accepted an additional 10 cuttings on behalf of the school’s environmental club, was elated at the Sandals Foundation’s generosity.

“This was a truly great idea. Earth Day is very important in reminding us that we have to continue to positively give back to our environment. This activity by the Sandals Foundation was extremely significant for our students in showing them how vital trees are to our existence and how they can, in their own ways, help to sustain the earth for the future,” she said.

The Montego Bay resorts’ team then joined fellow team members from the corporate office of Sandals Resorts International who had earlier begun an extensive clean-up exercise at the Montego Bay Marine Park alongside the Urban Development Corporation. The Sandals group, further assisted by title holders in the Miss United Nation Pageant, also planted 10 trees at that location.

Over in Westmoreland, 25 team members from the Negril-based Sandals, Beaches and Grande Pineapple resorts planted 15 cuttings of Poor Man’s Orchid and Cassie at the Independence and Guy Ottey parks. Furthermore, guests at Sandals Negril Resort were treated to a showcase of personal and house ware items created from recycled objects, including used phone card, pencil holders and photo frames from recycled card board, paper and bottles.

The foundation’s efforts reached further south through the Sandals Whitehouse Resort group that planted 30 seedlings at four locations within that region – New Hope Primary & Junior High, Whitehouse Basic School, Whitehouse Branch Library and the Culloden HEART Trust NTA.