Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), with responsibility for Water, the Environment and Climate Change, Senator, the Hon. Matthew Samuda has revealed that some 2.7 million trees have been planted under the National Tree Planting Initiative, which was launched in 2019 by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness with a goal of three million trees in three years.
Speaking during a speaker series and tree planting exercise, organised by the Ministry of Tourism, its public bodies and tourism partners, at the Excelsior High School, Minister Samuda said: “Let us meet the three million trees target by December 31st of this year – three hundred thousand trees in three months.
“We’re going to be increasing our partnerships and the Forestry Department will make the seedlings available because we have to make that target. As a part of our restoration efforts, we all have a part to play. That’s the way we’re going to keep Jamaica cleaner and greener.”
The tree planting exercise and speaker series presentation form part of a series of activities planned to mark Tourism Awareness Week 2023, which was observed from September 24 – 30 under the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) theme for World Tourism Day – “Tourism and Green Investments.” The theme seeks to highlight the need to focus on investing in people, planet and prosperity.
Excelsior High School was the first school to launch a Tourism Action Club (TAC) in 1995 and was the recipient of an evergreen tree planted in the heart of the campus. TACs are managed by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and are active in secondary and tertiary institutions across the island.
“By planting trees, though a small gesture, each one of us is making a lasting contribution to the preservation of planet Earth, the place that is our universal home, and you will agree with me that doing so is something worth getting your fingers dirty for,” noted Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Jennifer Griffith who delivered greetings on behalf of Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett.
“We want to thank the Ministry of Tourism for investing in Excelsior through the provision of a tree that is a symbol of growth, prosperity and sustainability,” added Evan Thompson, President of the Excelsior High School Past Students Association, which accommodated the tree planting exercise under its existing tree planting programme at the institution.
Tourism Awareness Week continued with a Virtual Knowledge forum, a Youth Forum at the Montego Bay Convention Centre and a Visionary Symposium and workshop, respectively.
