This Friday, scores of UWI Mona staff, students and alumni will roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty! Team members will be deployed across the 653-acre campus to plant 75 saplings to symbolically mark each year of the Institution's existence.

The Mona Campus will host a Ceremony, to mark the handing over of the 75 saplings which is scheduled for Friday, October 6, 2023, @ 8:30 a.m.
This Legacy Project, organised by the Faculty of Science and Technology's Beautification Committee, is also being held to mark National Tree Planting Day which will be observed on Friday, October 6.  

The Faculty was supported by the Forestry Department, which donated approximately 60 trees, shrubs and ornamental plants to the Mona Campus under the National Tree Planting Initiative that seeks to plant three million trees across Jamaica in three years.

“As we wind down our Faculty’s celebration of UWI 75th, we wanted to leave some tangible evidence of the effort and a legacy for the future generation," said Professor Michael Taylor, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology.

“When this 75th initiative bears fruit, members of the Mona Community will no doubt be reminded of this day as they bite into a jackfruit, naseberry or apple – three of the varieties that will be planted on Friday. In time, the new Lignum Vitae, Poui, West Indian Ebony, Cassia Fistula, Poor Man's Orchid, Pride of Barbados, Queen's Flower, Sabal Jamaicensis, and Guango trees will flourish as part of the legacy the Faculty envisions,” Professor Taylor said.

“The faculty's initiative to organize a tree planting exercise on National Tree Planting Day, coinciding with the university's 75th anniversary, symbolizes their commitment to environmental stewardship and the celebration of a significant milestone. This act not only contributes to the university's sustainability goals but also serves as a powerful testament to their dedication to preserving the environment for future generations while commemorating their rich academic history,” states Professor Paula Tennant, Co-Chair of the Faculty’s Beautification Committee.

National Tree Planting Day, which was launched in 2003, seeks to support national development in the areas of climate change and reforestation. The Faculty will also be getting some of the nation’s high schools involved in the initiative. Professor Taylor shared that through the BOOST programme, approximately, 35 schools across Jamaica will be provided with the Manual of Dendrology. The Forestry Department has also agreed to sponsor 5 of the Manuals as well as to provide 35 plants to be distributed to the schools.