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National Tree Planting Programme Cayman Islands

Trees Do So Many Amazing Things

Pepper Cinnamon

Their branches and roots form homes for many animals. Oxygen flows from their green leaves, allowing us and everything else to breath. Their flowing buds are food for insects and birds. Sweet fruits feed our communities and other species. Their long, deep roots hold the soil tightly, and create a world underground for all sorts of creatures that keep the soil healthy. Shady canopies provide shelter from the heat.

In the Cayman Islands, some trees are landmarks that have helped us describe directions for generations. In days of old, children listened to stories and learned valuable skills sitting beneath the shade of Sea Grape and Almond trees. 

Many trees make a forest ecosystem, and together, they provide the natural resources that the economies and people of the world depend on, like water, oxygen, medicine, wood, fuel, minerals. These natural services are priceless. In other words, trees create conditions that allow life to grow and flourish.

But, around the world, forests are being lost to land use change. People need places to live and food to eat, and we need minerals to create the technology we use daily. Industries like development and agriculture are essential, and so are healthy, intact forest ecosystems.

We created the National Tree Planting Programme because our communities, our economy and our biodiversity depend on trees.

So, let's green Cayman, nuh! Will you join us?

 

The Trees And The SDGS

 

The United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) seek to provide a framework for countries of the world to tackle the most complex, and widespread challenges facing humanity, including deforestation. SDG 15 aims to “protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss”. The SDGs  as a whole recognise that no one goal can be achieved on its own. Most, if not all goals are dependent on the success of the others. For example, planting trees also contributes to SDG 13 'Climate Action' and is an important element of SDG 11 'Sustainable Cities and Communities'.

For more information, click here. 

Image statistics labled Sustainable Cities and communities, Cayman Islands, National Tree Planting,
At their best, cities and urban communities are important hubs for commerce, innovation and social life. Planting trees helps mitigate the environmental impacts of urbanisation, restoring important ecosystem services in our towns and neighbourhoods that benefit humans and other species. The presence of trees in urban areas is known to have positive effects on human health and well-being. Trees also provide shelter, food and habitats for animals and plants. Green areas bring us together and promote healthy lifestyles.
National Tree Planting Image statistics labled Climate Action with an eye an of what appears to be a representation of the globe as the pupil
Planting trees is one of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to combat climate change. Healthy trees cool the planet by absorbing and storing harmful pollutants and greenhouse gases that contribute to our warming world. Trees can also help mitigate the impacts of climate change already being felt around the world. Planting an additional 150,000 trees in the Cayman Islands would remove more than 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from our atmosphere annually.
National Tree Planting - Life on Land image containing a tree, birds and two lines representing the ground. All elements of the national tree planting initiative led by the Cayman Islands Government under the ministry of sustainability climate resiliency and health.

Conserving and restoring terrestrial ecosystems is an important step to protecting life on land – including human life. By planting the equivalent of 775 acres of trees in the Cayman Islands, we can protect the essential ecosystem services that trees provide and ensure sustainable livelihoods are possible for current and future generations.

The key message of SDG 17 is to partner up in a meaningful way, no matter what your role in society is. There are many opportunities for civic society, governments, and the private sector to collaborate on initiatives that improve the health of people and nature. Many companies have Corporate Social Responsibility strategies (CRS) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria to measure a company's sustainability. What better way to meet your company’s goals than contribute to planting trees in the Cayman Islands?