Carnival Corporation purchased 5,000 grown palm trees for its new destination, the Celebration Key.
Through the company’s “Plant a Tree” initiative, 40 percent of the trees were purchased from small-scale community growers on the island.
“The Grand Bahama community’s enthusiastic participation has been instrumental in achieving this milestone,” said Raquel Mota, senior port services manager, Carnival Corporation.
“The initiative was launched in October 2023 and we have already met our target for the first phase. We want to congratulate and say thank you to every local grower who took part. We encourage them to keep up the good work as Carnival Corporation intends to continue partnering with as many Grand Bahamians as possible as we move toward the opening of Celebration Key.”
The company hosted a tree planting event on Wednesday April 24 to celebrate top contributors to the initiative in the areas of: ‘Best Quality Plants’ and ‘Most Plants Provided.’ Winners received project shirts and dinner vouchers as well as an invitation to visit Celebration Key once the port is open to see their efforts flourishing onsite.
Leslie Saunders, who has over 200 plants to Carnival Corporation said: “We are very thankful for this initiative as it has allowed us to profit from working on the land. I want to thank Carnival for believing in Bahamians and supporting the efforts of local growers in a meaningful way. It is also a source of pride to know that the development will be beautified by native plants, born and raised in Grand Bahama.”
After completing Phase One, Carnival Corporation is launching Phase 2 of the initiative, starting on May 9, 2024.
Mota added: “Once again, we are calling on the Grand Bahama community to participate actively. “We are looking for plants with good foliage and roots, among other quality requirements so bring us your best green thumb efforts!”
Starting May 9, drop-off for plant contributions will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am to 11 am at ATO Landscaping, Gina Farms Site, Grand Bahama Highway.
