ALTHOUGH CONSCIOUS of the monetary rewards that can be derived from investing in trees, Helen Chin-See, 89, places greater value on the beauty of the woody 'providers and protectors'.
Mrs. Chin-See who has been planting trees mainly timber on her 40-acre property in Trelawny since the 1970s, is currently enrolled in the Ministry of Agriculture's Forestry Department's Private Planting Programme (PPP).
She plants mainly mahogany and cedar trees because they are cheap to maintain.
According to her, many Jamaicans were not interested in investing in trees because it represents long term rather than short term rewards, but she said it was important that persons plant trees at least for the environmental benefits.
For Mrs. Chin-See, trees provide relaxation, comfort and even entertainment.
She said oftentimes when she is demotivated, she walks through her 'mini-forest' in search of peace.
Last year, Mrs. Chin-See benefited from 150 mahogany and cedar seedlings under the Forestry Department's planting programme, and she has also been receiving technical assistance from the Department.
