Over 400 trees were planted in sections of Clarendon, St. Andrew, St. Catherine and St. Ann on April 22 in observance of Earth Day, under the theme, "Restore our Earth".

The Forestry Department partnered with several organizations to execute the tree planting exercises which included the planting of 200 seedlings in partnership with Sandals Foundation in the Bogue 2 Forest Reserve in St. Ann and another 100 seedlings by the Jamaica Optimistic International Club in St. Ann, St. Andrew and St. Catherine. Approximately 100 seedlings were also planted at four high schools in Clarendon under the #MyTreeLegacy promotion with the support of Members of Parliament for the respective areas, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority and the Jamaica Agricultural Society, a few members of the schools’ faculty and past students.

CEO & Conservator of Forests, Mr. Ainsley Henry, says he is pleased with the level of interest displayed by the various organizations and clubs and commends those who have been making a tangible contribution towards the environment through tree planting. He wants all trees planted to be maintained. "I want to use this opportunity to challenge those who have planted trees to go a step further in ensuring that the trees planted are maintained so the planting efforts are not in futility. Restoring our earth and our country will take all of us playing an active role in the preservation of our natural resources including our trees and forests," Mr. Henry said. 

Mr. Henry says the Agency stands ready to offer support and technical advice to organizations and individuals who want to know how to properly plant and care for seedlings.

“We are not just distributing free seedlings under the National Tree Planting Initiative (NTPI) but we are always ready and willing to assist in whatever way we can. Persons can reach out to us via phone, email or our social media pages. We remain committed to doing our part and invite every Jamaican to register their commitment as together we restore Jamaica, one tree at a time,” he said.

Distribution of select free ornamental and timber seedlings for planting under the NTPI continues at the Agency’s nurseries at 173 Constant Spring Rd. and Moneague, St. Ann. Persons can visit Mondays to Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

For more information about the NTPI, persons may contact the Forestry Department at (876) 618-3205 or email your tree requests to fdinfo@forestry.gov.jm.