Hotel guests plant trees – and reduce carbon footprint |28 April 2008

      
The tree planting ceremony in full swing

The project, run by the Department of Environment throughout this year, is part of a worldwide effort mounted by the United Nations Environment Programme called Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign.

Speaking to guests before the planting ceremony last Wednesday, hotel general manager Olivier Français said: “In Seychelles the environment is a life-supporting process, whether it is when we are harvesting for our daily meals or whether it is the visitors enjoying our endemic species.”

Mr Français said this was one of the reasons the hotel decided to take part in the campaign.
Some 40 trees were planted by members of the Seychelles Tourism Board, staff from the Department of Environment and guests at the hotel. Small plaques bearing the names of the planters were placed next to the trees.

The principal secretary for environment, Didier Dogley, said they decided to get the hotel guests involved as this would help them reduce their carbon footprint – the carbon emissions generated by their travel.

Earlier this month, as part of the campaign, the Minister for Environment, Natural Resources and Transport, Joel Morgan, helped plant trees at the Banyan Tree Resort, Anse Intendance.

More tree-planting activities planned with the Department of Natural Resources will take place at Roche Caïman sports complex with the help of local sportsmen.

Seychelles Tourism Board and local communities are among the many other partners the Department of Environment is working with, and other hotels are due to host plantings.