One of the Sandals Foundations' fruit-bearing trees. (Photo Credit: Sandals Resorts)
WHY IT RATES: The Sandals Foundation is inviting guests who will be on-property at eight locations just ahead of Earth Day to participate in a large-scale tree-planting event on April 21, planting 500 food-producing trees in support of its year-long mission to improve food security in the Caribbean communities where it operates. Humanitarians can also donate privately to the campaign, dubbed ‘Trees for Life’, through April 22, in honor of Earth Day. — Laurie Baratti, TravelPulse Writer
In honor of Earth Day, the Sandals Foundation, the not-for-profit philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), invites resort guests across its Caribbean portfolio to join in planting 500 food-bearing trees in a single day. Taking place April 21st, the large-scale tree planting event further supports the Foundation’s year-long mission of regional food security to ensure the continued presence of local produce in schools and communities for future generations. Coined ‘Trees for Life’, the campaign also invites web donations through April 22nd.
“Sustainably increasing food and agricultural production is critical to ensuring the presence of fresh local foods for our Caribbean communities for years to come,” says Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation. “The Trees for Life campaign represents our continued pledge to environmental protection as a company, while empowering Caribbean communities with the tools and natural resources to meet their nutritional needs.”
Taking 500 steps forward, the ‘Trees for Life’ campaign builds on the tree planting milestones of years past. In 2021, the Sandals Foundation ambitiously pledged to plant 10,000 trees throughout the Caribbean, not only quickly achieving that goal, but expanding on it by an additional 10,000 trees in 2022. With a total of 16,284 of 20,000 trees planted, the trajectory towards meeting its second pledge continues through Earth Day’s ‘Trees for Life’ campaign.
The food-bearing plants represent an authentic Caribbean selection – soursop, guava, avocado, cherry, plantain, and banana – purchased from local forestry departments and nurseries. Blossoming in a span of two years, trees will be strategically placed in community-accessible areas and schools to provide food resources for surrounding students, families, and locals alike.
Further investing in Caribbean agriculture, Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts source more than 90% of its food supply locally. In recent years, the resort brands have made various contributions to Caribbean food producers, donating equipment to the Agricultural Training College in Barbados, constructing hydroponics at Antigua’s Gilbert Agricultural and Rural Development Center, and establishing community composting practices across resorts. Further, the Foundation has supported the Grenada Network of Rural Women Producers (GRENROP), a group of 65 local women and at-risk youth charting their financial independence through agriculture.
Guests traveling to Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts can play an active role in supporting the food security efforts of the Sandals Foundation any day of the year by ‘packing for a purpose’ and bringing along up to five pounds of story or activity books that cover the themes of healthy eating, gardening and the importance of trees.
Earth Day donations can be made by visiting https://www.sandalsfoundation.org/donation and choosing ‘Trees for Life’ in the drop down menu, with each $20 contribution resulting in the planting and maintenance of one food-bearing tree.
SOURCE: Sandals Resorts press release.
Topics From This Article to Explore
