By Hannah Reid, CIG

The Ministry of Sustainability & Climate Resiliency recently facilitated a native seed and plant giveaway in support of the Plant a Tree for the Jubilee initiative and to transplant native saplings extracted from the planned Linford Pierson Highway extension in George Town.

The Ministry gave away more than 150 native saplings and seedlings free of charge, as well as approximately 230 packets of Mahogany, Strawberry and Cabbage seeds collected from local trees by volunteers.

Ministry of Sustainability & Climate Resiliency Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn said the response from the public was impressive.

“More than one hundred people took time out of their busy weekend to attend our native seed and plant giveaway, which we hope will be the first of several,” Ahearn said. “This event demonstrated a keen community interest in native plant species and support for efforts to minimise species loss from development.”

Collaboration for a greener Cayman

The National Roads Authority (NRA) collaborated with the Ministry to provide details on the road construction timeline and coordinates for the proposed road alignment. The NRA also preserved a significant number of important native trees, including some critically endangered species, within the footprint of the future roundabout, and is in conversation with the Ministry to continue to preserve the existing trees and plant additional native species as part of an enhanced design.

“The NRA is excited and eager to work with the Ministry of Sustainability on this most important endeavor.  We hope we can continue on this path of collaboration for future projects,” NRA Managing Director Edward Howard said.

The proposed road corridor of the next phase of the Linford Pierson Highway extension between Bobby Thompson Way and Outpost Road was previously cleared in the early 2000s, impacting the number of native species in the area. Nevertheless, Ahearn says the Ministry and NRA will continue to collaborate to remove native species wherever possible for relocation on both this and future road projects.

A team of volunteers from the Cayman Islands Scouts potted the extracted saplings using pots and soil mix generously donated by the Department of Agriculture. Volunteers from the Department of Environment, National Trust for the Cayman Islands, Caribbean Blooms and Amplify Cayman also supported the effort to extract additional trees and pot the rescued plants, while Embajadores de Dios granted permission for the giveaway to be held in front of its church.

“Facilitating this event required a great deal of collaboration both between Government teams and with volunteers and supporters in the broader community,” Ahearn said. “We are grateful to the support from the community and look forward to seeing these rescued trees being pinned on the interactive National Tree Planting map when they are planted.”

More than 230 trees planted for the 2022 Jubilee

Premier and Minister for Sustainability & Climate Resiliency Hon. G. Wayne Panton, JP, MP said the year-long Plant a Tree for the Jubilee initiative received a surge of support over the Jubilee long weekend; More than 230 trees are now pinned on the digital map, including 44 in the Sister Islands.

“The Jubilee tree planting programmme aims to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s 70 years of leadership by inviting the people of the Cayman Islands to plant 70 native, endemic or fruit trees in each constituency, and 70 Mahogany trees across all three islands. More than 200 trees are pinned on the digital map and I’m proud to say my own constituency, Newlands, is currently leading the charge, with 58 trees planted. There are many practical reasons to plant more trees and I encourage our other districts to step up to the challenge. Let’s see which will be the first community to reach the goal of 70 trees planted,” Mr. Panton said.

To pin your tree on the National Tree Planting website, please visit: www.gov.ky/national-tree-planting

While supplies last, individuals and organisations that pin trees to the digital map are eligible to receive a free Jubilee tree planting t-shirt made from 100% recycled materials.

Jubilee trees available for purchase

The Ministry of Sustainability & Climate Resiliency has also partnered with local native plant nursery Caribbean Blooms to make Cabbage trees (Guapira discolor) available for purchase in support of the national Plant a Tree for the Jubilee initiative.

A percentage of each Cabbage tree sale will go towards the purchase of additional trees from Caribbean Blooms that will be made available free of charge to local schools and non-profit organisations to plant.

Joanne Mercille, founder of Caribbean Blooms, says Cabbage was also chosen as the 2022 Arbor Day Tree for the Cayman Islands.

“With its elegant, weeping branching habit, Cabbage is a beautiful tree to include in landscaping as a specimen tree or in a row as a welcoming road entrance,” she said. “The red, clustered fruits provide food for local bird species and the bark is often spotted with irregular, colourful lichen. It’s a show stopper.”

Historically, the long, flexible wood of the Cabbage tree was often used for weaving wattle in traditional Caymanian wattle-and-daub homes, and to craft ‘calavans’ for trapping ground doves.

Price List:

• 1 gallon – $16
• 3 gallon – $20
• 7 gallon – $35
• 15 gallon – $75

To purchase a Cabbage tree, please email: [email protected]  

If you represent a school or registered non-profit organisation and are interested in receiving a free tree, please register your interest by emailing: [email protected]  

The Ministry is sharing more information on what to know about transplant shock, how to care for newly planted trees, and additional opportunities to support the Jubilee tree planting initiative through the Plant a Tree for the Jubilee website and social media pages: www.gov.ky/national-tree-planting | Facebook: @caymantreeplanting | Instagram: @caymantreeplanting

Watch the video.