Saving Trees in Jamaica

While some people still needlessly cut down trees, many more people today are increasingly becoming aware of their value. Increasing numbers are going to great lengths and expense to save trees as they become more appreciative of their beauty and the positive effects they bring to the Earth’s environment.

In Montego Bay, Jamaica, on the main road traveling West along the Hip Strip, there is a large mature cotton tree which has grown to create an obstruction on the pavement, completely blocking access to pedestrians, who would have to step into the busy road to continue their journeys, as the other side of the tree is a steep drop down to the seafront.

Since neither stepping into  the busy main road nor sliding down the bank were acceptable options, the city built a bridge swinging to the North which goes around the massive tree trunk so pedestrians can get to the other side.

At Silver Sands villas Jamaica, a homeowner decided to build a beautiful large swimming pool, which was designed by a famous architect from California. This crescent-shaped swimming pool would be built in a location and in such a way that a mature coconut tree would have to be removed to accommodate the foundations for the Southern wall of the pool.
 

But the owner of the house would have none of that and he instructed the engineers to redesign the foundation so the coconut tree would not be sacrificed. This new design and alternative construction cost a great deal, but the job was completed successfully. Now more than ten years later, that coconut tree is still alive and stands proudly and majestically over the swimming pool.

After the devastating Hurricane Gilbert struck Jamaica in 1988, many trees were lost. One naseberry tree that lay on its side in the aftermath was about to be chopped to bits by the over-zealous gardener when he was stopped by a home owner. Together they straightened up the tree and pegged it in place, thereby saving it. Today it bears a healthy crop of fruit every season.

Many other Silver Sands villas owners do their bit to help protect the environment. A casual walk around the estate cannot help but reveal an abundance of flowering plants and fruit and ornamental trees. Over the years, one home owner has planted more than thirty coconut trees around his villa and near the Caribbean Sea. These beautiful trees make picture postcard scenes, enrich all of Silver Sands Jamaica, and produce a lot of “jelly coconuts” enjoyed by many guests and residents.

Silver Sands Villas Jamaica News