SPOT VALLEY, St James — Last Friday Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Robert Pickersgill marked National Tree Planting Day with students at the Spot Valley High School in St James in a joint effort with the Jamaica Forestry Department.
Representatives from both entities along with Mayor of Montego Bay Glendon Harris, Member of Parliament for East Central St James Edmund Bartlett, along with teachers and students at the school planted several trees in a move to reinforce the importance of preserving green spaces.
Students at the Spot Valley High School plant a tree on the school grounds last Friday in observance of National Tree Planting Day. (PHOTOS: PHILLIP LEMONTE)
Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Robert Pickersgill (right) assists (from left) Member of Parliament for East Central St James Edmund Bartlett, Mayor of Montego Bay Glendon Harris, Councillor for the Rose Hall Divison Jason Cummings, and Marilyn Headley, CEO, Forestry Department to plant a Lignum Vitae tree in observance of National Tree Planting Day on the grounds of the Spot Valley High School in St James last Friday, following a ceremony to mark the occasion at the institution.
In his address at a ceremony on the school grounds — held under the theme: invest in Tomorrow, Plant a Tree Today — before the tree-planting exercise, Pickersgill stressed the importance of trees.
"I cannot emphasise enough just how important our trees and forests are to life here on earth. Indeed, by planting trees, we plant the foundation for life for generations to come," said Pickersgill.
He noted that apart from their aesthetic value, and their usefulness as sources of food and shelter, trees are essential for air quality.
"Trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, which we all need to survive and they clean the air by trapping dust and smoke particles. As such, they are critical to reducing the prevalence of carbon dioxide, which is one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change and its attendant impacts," he said.
He added that trees also aid in soil conservation, which is vital to the maintenance of soil and water quality and in preventing flooding.
Meanwhile, CEO of the Forestry Department Marilyn Headley told the gathering that 75,000 seedlings for planting will be distributed by her department this year.
This represents an increase of more than 100 per cent over the 35,000 seedlings issued last year.
National Tree Planting Day is observed on the first Friday of October annually.
Representatives from both entities along with Mayor of Montego Bay Glendon Harris, Member of Parliament for East Central St James Edmund Bartlett, along with teachers and students at the school planted several trees in a move to reinforce the importance of preserving green spaces.
Students at the Spot Valley High School plant a tree on the school grounds last Friday in observance of National Tree Planting Day. (PHOTOS: PHILLIP LEMONTE)
Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Robert Pickersgill (right) assists (from left) Member of Parliament for East Central St James Edmund Bartlett, Mayor of Montego Bay Glendon Harris, Councillor for the Rose Hall Divison Jason Cummings, and Marilyn Headley, CEO, Forestry Department to plant a Lignum Vitae tree in observance of National Tree Planting Day on the grounds of the Spot Valley High School in St James last Friday, following a ceremony to mark the occasion at the institution.
    Students at the Spot Valley High School plant a tree on the school grounds last Friday in observance of National Tree Planting Day. (PHOTOS: PHILLIP LEMONTE) #slideshowtoggler, #slideshowtoggler a, #slideshowtoggler img {filter:none !important;zoom:normal !important}  1/2  |
"I cannot emphasise enough just how important our trees and forests are to life here on earth. Indeed, by planting trees, we plant the foundation for life for generations to come," said Pickersgill.
He noted that apart from their aesthetic value, and their usefulness as sources of food and shelter, trees are essential for air quality.
"Trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, which we all need to survive and they clean the air by trapping dust and smoke particles. As such, they are critical to reducing the prevalence of carbon dioxide, which is one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change and its attendant impacts," he said.
He added that trees also aid in soil conservation, which is vital to the maintenance of soil and water quality and in preventing flooding.
Meanwhile, CEO of the Forestry Department Marilyn Headley told the gathering that 75,000 seedlings for planting will be distributed by her department this year.
This represents an increase of more than 100 per cent over the 35,000 seedlings issued last year.
National Tree Planting Day is observed on the first Friday of October annually.
