A 5-year partnership to plant 20,000 trees between the Forestry Department and the Jamaica Bauxite Mining (JBM) Limited was launched during this year’s National Tree Planting Day ceremony at the JBM’s Protocol House in Lydford, St. Ann.  

Following the announcement, guests planted 1,000 trees signaling a strong start to this partnership. Mr. Ainsley Henry, CEO and Conservator of Forests, who is pleased with the partnership, said, “Large-scale planting of trees signals good things for expanding our tree cover and what with the recent lengthy and record-breaking period of heat and drought experienced across Jamaica, we certainly need it”. 

This partnership is part of a strategically aligned effort by JBM, over the next 3-5 years, as part of its reclamation and sustainable restoration of mined-out lands efforts. Mrs. Donna Howe, Managing Director of JBM, said National Tree Planting Day “aligns and identifies with our environmental social governance objectives, and “JBM is getting behind a number of these types of environmental and socially impactful projects”.  

Mrs. Howe added that its tree planting goals support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of sequential land development as custodian owners of lands in St. Ann. The bauxite company planted 1,000 trees at the National Labour Day Project in May of this year and will plant an additional 2,000 trees by the end of the 2023/2024 financial year.  

National Tree Planting Day was celebrated under the theme, “Keep the Heat Away… Plant a Tree Today!”  

More than 100 volunteers including JBM staff, political representatives, schools in St. Ann and other partners, joined efforts to plant 1,000 trees on the Beulah Park property. This was among several tree-planting projects supported by the Forestry Department today. Tree planting was also done at the Frome Technical High School in Westmoreland, Kingston High and McNie All Age in Clarendon. We also partnered with the Northern Rio Minho Local Forest Management Committee to plant 500 trees at the Bull Head Forest Reserve and with Total Energies to reforest two hectares in New Danks Clarendon. Entities such as Jamaica Red Cross, DiCawna Library, Cemex and Caribbean Tree Planting Project also led tree planting activities, which will all count towards the 300,000 trees targeted for planting under the National Tree Planting Initiative by year-end.  

The Agency aims to complete the #3milliontrees target by December 31, 2023, and appeals to the public for its support – not just to meet the target but to help build a climate-resilient Jamaica, increase forest cover, and establish high-value green spaces for its citizens. 

National Tree Planting Day is celebrated on the first Friday in October annually. Through the annual National Tree Planting Day seedling distribution, the Agency makes tree planting an accessible activity in which anyone can participate. The seedling distribution, which started on September 25 and ends on October 13, offers free seedlings to the public to plant trees on National Tree Planting Day or within the distribution period. Individuals can visit any of the Agency’s nurseries in Constant Spring, Moneague and Williamsfield to collect up to 10 free ornamental and timber seedlings. Coordinators of larger projects who require more than 10 seedlings, can email fdinfo@forestry.gov.jm to make their request.  

Photo caption: Donna Howe, Managing Director of Jamaica Bauxite Mining Limited and Ainsley Henry, CEO and Conservator of Forests at the Forestry Department companies' tree planting partnership during the National Tree Planting Day ceremony at the JBM’s Protocol House in Lydford, St. Ann on October 6, 2023.