KINGSTON, Jamaica - Mayor of Kingston, Senator Councillor Delroy Williams, led a team from Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) in planting trees at Maverley Park and at a green space being created in Duhaney Park, St Andrew.

The tree-planting exercise was part of the KSAMC’s activities in the Corporate Area for Labour Day on Tuesday. They were assisted by members of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).

Williams said Maverley Park is under major construction.

“Right now, we are constructing the fence, and over the year, we will complete the park as a very beautiful [space] within the municipality. So, we have decided to, while we are constructing the fencing, we are putting in the trees that we want here. This will be an environmentally friendly park, so trees will form a major part of it,” he said.

Mayor Williams noted that seven trees were placed in the ground on Tuesday, which will add to the nine already planted at the facility.

Over at Duhaney Park, some four trees were planted at the green space, which is still under renovation.

“We have planted there already somewhere between 20 and 30 trees, and we are adding another four today, and before the opening of that park, we believe we can accommodate another four or five trees there,” Williams said.

Meanwhile, the major Labour Day project for the municipal corporation is being undertaken in the Parade area, downtown Kingston.

This includes the bricking of a section of the Parade bus terminus, which will see the erection of a covered structure for the use of individuals awaiting public transportation.

Currently, people await transportation in the direct heat of the sun or seek cover elsewhere when it rains.

“It is very difficult for them, as they have to stand facing direct sunlight, so the municipality is constructing covered areas there and at the same time using those… to lift the aesthetics of the space,” the mayor stated.

“It also forms part of our general vision for the area, which is to create an area that provides for recreation and leisure and allows for interaction between our residents, visitors, culture and our history,” he added.

Also, on Tuesday the corporation will be repainting the walls and marking lines at the Wolmer’s car park.

Labour Day is being observed under the theme ‘Plant a Tree for Life – Promoting Climate Change Mitigation, Food Security and Road Safety’.

-JIS