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More Persons Urged to take Part in Million Tree Challenge

By: , July 7, 2017

The Key Point:

More persons are being encouraged to get involved in the National Environment and Planning Agency’s (NEPA) Million Tree Challenge, under which 7,000 trees have been planted to date.
More Persons Urged to take Part in Million Tree Challenge
Chief Executive Officer at the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Peter Knight.

The Facts

  • Chief Executive Officer (CEO) NEPA, Peter Knight, made the call for increased participation, while addressing a cocktail reception held at The Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston on July 5.
  • Persons can contact NEPA offices islandwide for further information on how to get involved in the campaign.

The Full Story

More persons are being encouraged to get involved in the National Environment and Planning Agency’s (NEPA) Million Tree Challenge, under which 7,000 trees have been planted to date.

The initiative, which was launched on May 22, 2017 to commemorate International Day for Biological Diversity, aims to plant one million trees by June 30, 2019.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) NEPA, Peter Knight, made the call for increased participation, while addressing a cocktail reception held at The Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston on July 5.

“We have involved the church, civil society, schools, private sector and professional groups across the island, and the response has been tremendous, (but) we want (more stakeholders) to join the initiative,” he said.

The Million Tree Challenge encourages Jamaicans to plant a tree to improve the island’s natural biodiversity, green coverage and overall resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Trees planted may be fruit, ornamental or timber, but must be native or suitable to the area’s natural landscape.

The call to action is a continuation of the ‘Trees for Life’ campaign which was launched in October 2016 by NEPA’s Yallahs Hope Project.

The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, which became the campaign’s first official partner, has committed to plant 155,000 trees.

Mr. Knight informed that a cruise line has also expressed interest in participating in the initiative.

Persons can contact NEPA offices islandwide for further information on how to get involved in the campaign.

The reception was held as part of activities for a three-day Caribbean Waste Management Conference being staged at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston from July 4 to 6.

Last Updated: July 7, 2017

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