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Expanded Tree Planting Mission Further Strengthens Regional Sustainability

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#TheCarribean, April 22, 2022 — Gearing up to celebrate the fulfillment of its 10,000-tree planting commitment, the Sandals Foundation is expanding its conservation goal by adding another 10,000 trees to strengthen the Caribbean’s climate resilience and food security.

The massive conservation effort is in keeping with this year’s global Earth Day theme, ‘Invest in Our Planet’, and builds on the foundation’s larger Caribbean Tree Planting Project commitment, which is being coordinated by the Caribbean Philanthropic Alliance in collaboration with the Trees That Feed Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative, and other partners.

Last April, the teams together announced plans to plant one million trees across 14 Caribbean countries by June this year. Now, with over 9,600 ornamental and food bearing trees already planted by the Sandals Foundation and its partners, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International is increasing the stakes.

“The environment around us is not only our home, but everything that keeps us alive,” said Heidi Clarke, executive director of Sandals Foundation. “Investing in the long-term viability of these natural environments will help to strengthen the many ecosystems that are critical for providing food, water, and protecting our communities and livelihoods, improving the way of life in the region for locals and tourists alike to enjoy.”

  • Region specific activities

Outside of its tree planting mission, here in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Sandals Foundation plans to establish community compost training in an effort to strengthen food security, increase solid waste management, and adopt climate smart agricultural practices. The island of Providenciales is known for having far less fertile soil with limited farmers or localized sources of produce. Now, through its Beaches Turks and Caicos resort, team members will lead the composting efforts, providing an opportunity for students and farmers from surrounding communities to learn, participate, and share the acquired knowledge and practices with their communities.

“Environmental education is an important part of our conservation efforts,” said Georgia Lumley, environmental coordinator at Sandals Foundation. “By collaborating with key organisations, students are learning about the importance of protecting the environment and endangered species while participating in activity execution through eco-camps and field trips.”

In Barbados, the Foundation’s conservation efforts will see to the enhancement and improving the eco-offering and experience at the historic Andromeda Botanic Gardens by adding an ethnobotanical garden with an outdoor classroom, creative signage, and the planting of 30 trees. Sandals Foundation, in collaboration with the park’s managers, Passiflora Limited, is creating a haven for native and regional plants, their cultural uses, the associated biodiversity, and a resource for the Barbadian community.

Last year, with support from the Sandals Foundation, the Grenada Fund for Conservation planted 4000 mangroves. Now, with the upcoming infrastructural improvements and training of community guides at Woburn Interpretive Centre, the initiatives will strengthen the island’s coastline and build on their efforts to encourage eco-tourism respectively.

In Jamaica, over 2000 timber trees have been planted as part of reforestation and conservation efforts at the biodiversity hotspot of the UNESCO World Heritage Site—the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park. The area which contains 50 percent of the island’s endemic plants, is managed by the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust, with whom the Foundation partners to activate its initiatives.

Team members from Sandals and Beaches Resorts have also rolled up their sleeves and, together with representatives from the Forestry Department and the Mustard Seed Community in Jamaica have planted almost 200 food-bearing trees in communities, with plans to plant 600 more by June.

The careful management of invasive species is also a key component in the philanthropic arm’s conservation effort.

In The Bahamas, Sandals Foundation ambassadors along with the Bahamas National Trust are set to remove invasive species and plant some 1000 trees in the Lucayan National Park. Through the engagement of student volunteers, the islands will continue its rich tradition of promoting environmental education among its young people, thereby fostering the next generation of environment stewards.

“We are educating students and communities throughout the region on the importance of removing invasive species as we enter spaces they occupy and plant native species,” “We have supplemented these removals with reforestation activities that include the planting of food-bearing trees, such as what we continue to support at Signal Hill in Antigua,” said Lumley.

The construction of a shade house at Wallings Nature Reserve in the twin island territory will also contribute to the charitable arm’s conservation efforts, which began in that area last year with the planting of 1,008 food-bearing trees.

The Sandals Foundation has an extensive record of environmental conservation. Over the past 13 years, the organisation has planted over 17,000 fruit and ornamental trees throughout the Caribbean by galvanizing the support of Sandals and Beaches Resorts team members, community groups, partners, travel agents, guests, students, and volunteers.

This year, the entity remains committed to increasing forest coverage, protecting wildlife, enhancing biodiversity, creating eco-tours, educating children and empowering communities to take part in conservation.

Persons wishing to support the tree planting efforts can visit the Sandals Foundation website at www.sandalsfoundation.org and donate to the ‘Caribbean Tree Planting Project’. One hundred percent of all funds donated will be directed towards purchasing seedlings and maintaining the plant sites to ensure tree survival.

 

Press Release: Sandals Foundation

Caribbean News

CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Caribbean News

Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Caribbean News

Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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