Earth Today | Source Farm looks to word power to advance conservation efforts
Published:Thursday | March 13, 2025 | 12:08 AM
SOURCE FARM Community Development Institute was among the recent recipients of Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ) grants in support of the conservation and climate change work of local entities.
With its dedication to sustainable living, environmental education, and community development, Source Farm is on a mission to inspire and implement regenerative practices that promote food security, biodiversity and climate resilience; adopting agroforestry, permaculture, and knowledge-sharing initiatives that empower those they serve.
It is against this background that they applied for and received the EFJ grant to develop a children’s book focused on the importance of planting and caring for trees.
“This follows the success of our first book, The Seed Keeper, which introduced young readers to seed-saving and food sovereignty. The new book will be an engaging, educational resource that teaches children about Jamaica’s native and fruit-bearing trees, their ecological benefits, and practical guidance on planting and nurturing them,” noted Nicola Shirley Phillips, director of Source Farm Community Development Institute.
As an accompaniment to the book, the organisation is to develop a theme song reinforcing key messages through music, making learning fun and accessible; create social media content to engage a wider audience and promote environmental awareness; as well as distribute printed and digital copies to schools, libraries, and community groups islandwide.
“The funding provided by EFJ is instrumental in bringing this project to life. We increase environmental awareness among children, fostering a culture of sustainability from an early age, distribute educational materials widely, ensuring that communities across Jamaica, including rural and underserved areas, benefit from the project, promote tree-planting as a community activity, encouraging schools and families to actively participate in reforestation efforts,” Phillips noted.
She added that, also courtesy of the funding received, they can also scale up outreach efforts, “using digital platforms and music to inspire action beyond the printed book”.
Meanwhile, the project is designed with long-term impact in mind, with the goal to have the book serve as an educational tool that can be used in schools and community programmes. This, even as the tree-planting lessons “encourage hands-on engagement, leading to long-term environmental stewardship”, and the theme song and social media content “provide ongoing digital engagement, ensuring the message continues to spread beyond the initial distribution”.
“The project [also] aligns with our broader mission, meaning, we will integrate it into future workshops, eco-education programmes, and community activities, sustaining its relevance and reach,” Phillips explained.
The EFJ’s $51-million grant awards were announced during a signing ceremony, held as part of the 28th annual general meeting of the EFJ on January 23 at the Hotel Four Seasons in Kingston.
Twenty-one million dollars of the allocated $51 million was awarded under the Forest Conservation Fund to Development Beyond Horizons, the Jamaica Environment Trust and the Source Farm.
The other $30 million was allocated for climate change adaptation projects to seven entities, including the UWI Port Royal Marine Lab, the Danny Williams School for the Deaf, the Council of Voluntary Social Services, and the Church of the Open Bible.
With more than 1,600 projects funded to date, EFJ continues to strengthen Jamaica’s environmental and child sectors. This year’s awards follow EFJ’s March 2024 call for proposals which attracted 64 applications.