Tree-planting program progressing well

The Walkers Institute for Regenerative Research, Education and Design (WIRRED), remains committed to its “One tree for every Bajan” program.

This promise comes from WIRRED’s founding director and chairman, Ian McNeel, as he delivered brief remarks at a tree-planting ceremony in honour of Canada National Tree Day and World Habitat Day, held at Walkers Reserve today.

During his address to attendees, which included the Canadian High Commissioner to Barbados, Marie Legault, and Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Adrian Forde, McNeel said the goal of WIRRED and its tree-planting program, is to engage all stakeholders on the island in the common goal of protecting the environment in a sustainable way.

“The goal of WIRRED’s ‘One tree for every Bajan’ program, is to engage a diverse community of stakeholders in a holistic manner. To build habitat to increase biodiversity and sequester carbon, and to build climate resilience. To promote the culture of environmentally conscious volunteerism and to create a movement of environmental stewardship in Barbados, that is also inclusive of vulnerable groups. Effectively, leveraging partnerships towards long-term goals of planting one tree for literally every Bajan,” he explained.

Since 2014, the Reserve has planted about 20,000 trees and plants every year, and the institute, according to McNeel, intends to aid the Government with its One Million Trees project currently being undertaken around the island.

“WIRRED would like to assist, and continue assisting through its ‘One tree for every Bajan’ program, and has committed and will ensure that all of the trees that we have planted, and continue to plant, will be counted towards the national goal of one million trees,” he added.

Legault voiced her pleasure about the opportunity to plant just over 50 trees on the day with her team, and said that planting trees was an important activity that all citizens should engage in.

“Planting trees is one of the most efficient ways of combatting climate change. I [alone] am not saying that, a lot of experts can confirm this. The many benefits for planting tries include soil erosion, which is very important but not an issue for Barbados, but it especially combats flooding. As I was coming here, I read we had a flood warning for today, and we have seen what has [gone] on in St Lucy [this week] and other places on the island. So what we are doing today is extremely important to Barbados in terms of helping the environment,” Legault said.

Minister Forde was also proud of the initiative from WIRRED, and revealed that the Government was committed to reducing the island’s carbon footprint significantly by 2030.

“It may be a small chuck in the footprint, but it is the Government’s vision by 2030, to be able to tell the international community we have reduced our carbon footprint by 1.5 million tons. That is what we are doing collectively around all the departments,” Forde stated. (SB)