Whitehouse Students and Farmers Cultivate a Greener Future Through RE-LEAF Action with Sandals Foundation

Whitehouse, Westmoreland, Jamaica – June 11, 2026 — As part of activities commemorating World Environment Day, 28 students from New Hope Primary and Kings Primary School joined farmers, Forestry Department representatives, environmental wardens, and the Sandals Foundation to plant fruit trees in Whitehouse, Westmoreland. The activity forms part of the Foundation’s support of Jamaica’s national RE-LEAF (Reforestation, Ecological Enhancement and Landscape Framework) Initiative. As part of its commitment, the philanthropic organization has distributed 360 fruit trees to schools and farmers to aid landscape restoration and food security efforts.

A variety of food trees including breadfruit, ackee, jackfruit, mango, avocado, soursop, and Otaheite apple were distributed to Culloden Early Childhood Institution, Whitehouse Basic School, New Hope Primary School, Kings Primary School, Petersville Primary School, and Petersville Early Childhood Institution as well as to members of the Westmoreland Organic Farmers Association to increase access to locally grown produce.

Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation, said the Organization’s choice of trees was a deliberate effort to build the resilience of the communities. “We chose fruit trees because in addition to helping to restore green space sand biodiversity, they sustain a community’s food security. ”

Recently, Whitehouse farmers joined students of Kings and New Hope Primary School students, Forestry Department representatives, and Sandals Foundation environmental wardens to plant 20 trees – demonstrating a community approach to their landscape restoration efforts.

“Reforestation is about much more than planting trees,” said Georgia Scarlett, Environmental Manager at the Sandals Foundation. ” It is also about ensuring future generations understand their role in protecting the natural resources that sustain our communities. By placing fruit trees in schools and farming communities, we are creating opportunities for learning, nourishment, and long-term environmental stewardship.

For Caribbean communities facing growing pressure on food systems, green spaces, and natural resources, the project offers a practical model for local action. By placing fruit trees in schools and farming communities, the initiative gives residents more than seedlings. It gives them a direct role in producing food, restoring shade, and protecting the environment their children will inherit.

PHOTO CAPTION:

L-R: Dian Holgate, representative of the Forestry Department; Georgia Scarlett, Environmental Project Manager of the Sandals Foundation; Kings Primary School teacher O’Shea Lawrence; farmer, Barbara Stewart, and students Chloe Robinson and Reshaina Samuels of Kings Primary School participate in a tree-planting activity in Whitehouse, Westmoreland. The initiative formed part of the RE-LEAF programme, which distributed 360 fruit trees to schools and farmers across the community.