The Forestry Department is reporting that, along with several partners, it saw to the planting of more than 2,000 trees across the island in observance of Earth Day last Friday.

The projects, it said, involved public and private sector companies, schools and non-governmental organisations, and started as early as last Tuesday, with some continuing into this week.

CEO & Conservator of Forests Marilyn Headley says the agency, which supplied all the trees, is pleased with the interest among the various groups in planting trees as it serves to improve our environment.

“As our planet adapts to and seeks to mitigate the impact of climate change, trees and by extension our forests, are recognised as powerful tools in minimising the effects. In addition, trees provide a myriad of benefits including clean air, food, clean water, medicine and many other commodities which we depend on daily. Therefore, we are happy that more and more persons are recognising these and other values and playing their part to improve the environment,” she said.

One of the activities, Headley said, was the JMMB Group’s initiative of encouraging Jamaicans to plant 5,000 trees in two weeks. It included planting at several Corporate Area schools, and some 100 neem trees in Portmore, St Catherine.

The Forestry Department also referenced Old Harbour Bay Youth Coalition Club’s project of planting tree seedlings at Prophesy Basic School in the coastal community of Old Harbour Bay, St Catherine.

Also partnering with the agency was Sandals Foundation which planted 900 seedlings in three forest estates in western Jamaica, in addition to 600 others across the region, totalling some 1,500. Director of Programmes at Sandals Foundation, Heidi Clarke, said the Foundation is extremely proud to partner with the Forestry Department and other environmental organisations throughout the Caribbean.

“While Earth Day is a special celebration of the planet and its importance to our lives, we would like to consider every day as an Earth Day,” she said.

Another one of the Forestry Department’s partners on Earth Day was the Vision 2030 Jamaica Secretariat, which engaged members and students of St Boniface Anglican Church and Basic School and the adjoining Donald Quarry High School to plant 100 trees on the property in Harbour View, St Andrew. Other partners included Couples Sans Souci hotel which planted 200 trees in the Bogue Forest Estate in St Ann, and the Peace Corps volunteers who participated in a tree planting and public education session at Easington Primary School in St Thomas.

Earth Day is celebrated globally on April 22 and encourages the activities that demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970 and is commemorated in more than 193 countries. This year’s theme was ‘Trees for the Earth’.