Giving Back: Tree Planting in Dominica

At 8:45 am, we headed out to Scotts Head in southwestern Dominica, where the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea merge, to plant trees that were lost over time and most recently by Tropical Storm Erika. With aid from the Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division of Dominica and the local community, we planted coconut trees, royal palms, and other species that could tolerate the drier soil and salty ocean spray that is typical of the area. The community of Scotts Head provided shovels and pick axes to plant the trees—it was a real team effort— conservation in practice. The local people, in conjunction with Dominica’s Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, will maintain these trees until they can survive on their own. Our tree planting is a small step in the rebuilding of Dominica after Erika. In time, the trees will provide wildlife habitat, shelter against the wind, and shade for those enjoying this serene area. The newly planted trees will also, of course, sequester carbon and build upon Dominica’s green footprint. Dominicans are connected to place and their villages as we saw firsthand in our joint tree planting campaign. Despite massive damage in some areas from flooding and landslides, the will of the local people is triumphant. Their tenacity and commitment to rebuild (however long it takes) will ensure that Dominica recovers from this historic storm. It is our sincere hope that our tree plantings make a meaningful contribution to the recovery effort and, in some small way, make things just a little bit better.