Prescod calls on Barbadians to support tree-planting initiative

With hundreds of trees being planted in different parts of the island to commence the National Tree Planting Project, the minister responsible for the environment is asking Barbadians not to see the initiative as a partisan exercise, but one that involves all.

As he delivered remarks at the launch of the project at Hope Plantation, St Lucy, Minister of Environment and Beautification Trevor Prescod said the ambitious goal to plant one million fruit and shade trees across Barbados has nothing to do with which Government won 30 seats in the last election.

He said the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) won the Government through the manifestation of the confidence of the people.

“But I want to call on board all Barbadians, non-Barbadians, and all Barbadians within the diaspora to support this national effort by the Barbados Government,” Prescod said.

“So, I am expecting that as I move across the entire length and breadth of Barbados, from the north to the south, from the east to the west, that I have the collective response of Barbadians wherever we go. And I will keep notifying you, over and over where we are going next.”

The Minister said that as members of the Barbados Youth Advance Corp, Barbados 4 H Club, and representatives from the Barbados Fire Service and Barbados Defence Force planted more than 2000 trees at Hope Plantation this morning, the extending arm of the programme was in full effect at the National Botanical Gardens where 500 fruit and shade trees were planted. Five hundred trees were also planted at Searles, Christ Church.

Prescod said that apart from what was being organised at the central level of the Ministry of Environment, individuals were being asked to plant trees.

He indicated that in order to count the trees being planted, his Ministry will be opening phone lines to allow persons to call and indicate that they have planted trees.

“As you indicate to us that you have planted a tree, we will add it among the numbers so that we would not be falsifying anything. We will be able to come and tell you we have reached over 3 billion trees by the end of 2020. It is possible,” he said.

The Minister said the project was designed to promote the sustainable growth of Barbadians, and the development of a green economy to move away from the industrial form of development that has occurred as a consequence of the discovery of fossil fuels.

At the launch, Chairman of Innotech Services Limted Anthony DaSilva presented a cheque for BDS$25 000 to Minister Prescod, to assist with the mass planting programme titled We Plantin.

DaSilva applauded the initiative and noted that he endorsed Minister Prescod’s sentiments that it should not be viewed as a political or partisan project, but rather an initiative that would benefit Barbadians and tourists alike.

He said Innotech would reassess the commitment within six months.

“It is a wonderful project that creates a lot of opportunities. It’s a project that is good for the environment. Innotech, being a group of companies that is involved in construction, invariably we are building things that are hard like concrete and steel.

“So, whenever we get an opportunity to be involved with things on the softer side of Barbados and the four territories in the Caribbean we operate in, that is something that we jump at, we don’t even wait to be called,” DaSilva said. (AH)