Tue | May 19, 2026

Earth Today | 95,000 trees and counting

Published:Thursday | October 20, 2022 | 12:07 AM
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Ainsley Henry (right), conservator of forests and chief executive officer at the Forestry Department; and Delroy Dell, Discovery Bauxite’s vice-president and country manager, earlier this year admire a fast-growing Jatropha tree that was planted a year a
Contributed
Ainsley Henry (right), conservator of forests and chief executive officer at the Forestry Department; and Delroy Dell, Discovery Bauxite’s vice-president and country manager, earlier this year admire a fast-growing Jatropha tree that was planted a year ago on reclaimed lands in St Ann, as part of the company’s forestation programme.
Aabuthnott Gallimore High School student, Tendasaine Genus, of Water Valley district in St Ann, participates in Discovery Bauxite’s tree-planting programme as part of a large group of bauxite employees and community residents who planted 15,100 trees on
Contributed
Aabuthnott Gallimore High School student, Tendasaine Genus, of Water Valley district in St Ann, participates in Discovery Bauxite’s tree-planting programme as part of a large group of bauxite employees and community residents who planted 15,100 trees on Labour Day this year, in support of the National Tree-Planting programme.
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DISCOVERY BAUXITE is doing its bit to support national tree-planting efforts, towards the 'Three Million Trees in Three Years' initiative.

The initiative was launched in 2019 by Prime Minister Andrew Holness and is aimed at planting three million timber and ornamental trees over the period and expanding forested areas, including public and private forests.

Up to the end of last month, the company was at just over 95,000 trees planted, with the goal to get to get 200,000 as their contribution to the national efforts which align with their own 'Operation Discovery Tree' programme that was launched late last year.

The goal, according to a release from the entity, is “to expand the positive environmental impacts from the company's ongoing tree planting, greenhouses, aquaponics, and other reclamation initiatives”.

Operation Discovery Tree, the release noted, has been welcomed by chief executive officer and conservator of forests, Ainsley Henry, who has reportedly described the project as, “mining finding common ground with forestry”.

“Discovery Bauxite pledges its continued commitment to carrying out its mining activities in a manner that includes the protection and preservation of Jamaica's forest reserves, heritage sites, and water tables,” said Delroy Dell, vice president and country manager at Discovery Bauxite.

“This initiative is part of a larger and ongoing programme of developing new forestry areas while continuing to build on our long and strong history as a leader inland reclamation and rehabilitation into forestry, agricultural lands, green houses, water catchment, housing and other improvements for communities in and around our mining areas,” he added.

Included in the 95,000 trees planted to date are ackee, jackfruit, apple, pimento, cedar, blue mahoe, mahogany, and moringa – with citrus, mango, avocado and breadfruit to be added in the coming weeks.