TOBAGO SCHOOLS JOIN SWF&CO IN TREE PLANTING PROJECT
Speyside High School Environmental Science Teacher, Mr. Gerald Peters, and students from the Speyside High School Environmental Club participate in the tree planting activity on their school grounds.
WEDNESDAY, 30 NOV 2022: PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Secondary school students in Tobago recently participated in SWF&CO Public Relations’ nationwide tree-planting project, which had already placed Flamboyant trees in North and South Trinidad earlier this year. Ten Flamboyant trees have now been planted on the sister-isle in a series of activities with secondary school students, coordinated by the NGO Environment Tobago.
In North-East Tobago, students from Parlatuvier Anglican School and members of the village council planted one of SWF&CO’s young Flamboyant trees near to newly unveiled artwork on the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Art Trail. This combination of art, nature and young activism reflects the ideals of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere project, which identifies “Biosphere reserves” around the world, including North-East Tobago, as learning places for sustainable development initiatives.
Mason Hall Secondary School and Speyside Secondary School also welcomed the opportunity to be a part of this initiative. Teachers and students were hands-on during the tree-planting, and committed to ensuring the long term upkeep of the young trees on their school grounds.
“It was important to us to involve schools in our tree-planting activities, so students could get personally involved in caring for their environment and see how each small action counts towards achieving long-term sustainable development goals,” remarked Sandra Welch-Farrell, the CEO and Founder of SWF&CO.
Environment Tobago, SWF&CO’s coordinating partner in Tobago, aims to promote the conservation of Tobago’s natural resources and educate citizens on the critical connection between nature and our quality of life. While the Caribbean region contributes less than one percent to the world’s greenhouse emissions, our low-lying island states are among those most at-risk of social, economic, and environmental devastation from rising temperatures and climate change. In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggested that 950 million hectares of new forests could help limit the increase in global average temperature to 1.5-degrees Celsius, one of the targets set out in the Paris Agreement to reduce the effects of climate change.
“Students involved in our tree-planting today are taking action to benefit young people in the years to come. Planting just one tree is a contribution to a larger coordinated effort to limit the effects of climate change, but we hope that it can also play a part in revitalising school spirit and creating spaces for learning outside of the classroom. One day, in the not so distant future, students can gather and enjoy poetry, drama, music, sports and so much more under the wide umbrella canopy of the Flamboyant Trees at Mason Hall Secondary and Speyside Secondary,” said Welch-Farrell, envisioning many positives from enhancing and greening youth spaces.
SWF&CO has handled work for International Agencies, Embassies and some of the leading corporate accounts in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. The firm provides full PR services, including strategy, media relations, crisis response, social media management, consumer marketing, and external and internal communications for organisations.
Students from Mason Hall Secondary place a Flamboyant tree into the ground, with guidance from Mr. Wade Caruth, Agricultural Technician at Mason Hall Secondary.
Mr. Wade Caruth, Agricultural Technician at Mason Hall Secondary, explains the benefits of planting the Flamboyant tree and guides his students in the tree planting initiative on school grounds.
There’s no stopping these nature champions from Speyside High School as they begin their tree planting project in Tobago.
Ready, set, plant...students from Mason Hall Secondary stand proudly with their newly planted Flamboyant tree.
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