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What they said about JEEP
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Professor Mohan Munasinghe
I must begin by congratulating and commending the efforts of Jetwing to promote this initiative as responsible corporate citizens, contributing towards minimizing global warming for the benefit of all living things. The creation of the Jetwing Eternal Earth Project (JEEP) provides visitors and the local community a chance to contribute to safeguarding the common future of humanity.
We need to act today in order to safeguard the planet for unborn generations. The business community should take the lead in promoting awareness among citizens as to how we can change our behaviour to protect mother earth. Eco-tourism provides us a huge opportunity to promote awareness and get people involved directly.
A tree may be grown anywhere in Sri Lanka, and we would like to see more of them. In the past we seem to have considered trees as an inexhaustible resource, but the reality is that if we cut down the trees too fast, we will be left with none. Over the past decades, the forest area in Sri Lanka has declined sharply, while the space covered by concrete and other human-made surfaces has risen. It is vital that initiatives such as JEEP are pursued, to help planting and caring for trees on public land, and educating the public about why they matter.
Many in the business community seem to look at only the economic dimension of the sustainable development triangle – making the highest return on their investment. However it is an inspiration to see that companies such as Jetwing are looking at the other two dimensions which include the environment and social impacts of their actions.
Trees are natural pollution-control devices. They absorb carbon dioxide (a byproduct of burning fossil fuels) and return oxygen to the air. Their leaves, branches, and trunks help slow the runoff of storm water, thus preventing flooding. They also provide sound buffering, shade, and measurably cooler temperatures on hot days, and breeding and roosting places for local and migratory birds, whose habitat has been disappearing.
The savings that result from these environmental benefits can really add up. Research has shown that substantial increases in the number of city trees can reduce storm-water and pollution-control expenditures by millions of dollars.
In addition to the environmental benefits of planting trees, there are many social benefits as well. Planting trees provides employment for the local community. Research has shown that compared to people in places without trees, people in buildings with trees enjoyed better relations with neighbors and reduced violence. Cities should design ample green space into new public-housing projects. Trees could be planted alongside business-district sidewalks, in parking lots, in gardens etc. Research shows that people are willing to spend more on products in business districts with trees, than in areas without them. Trees send a message of care, quality, and welcome, and can give a district a distinct character that customers like.
Unfortunately, there's more involved than simply planting more trees. We also have to keep them alive - and that can sometimes be a problem. In some cases, disease has been a factor. Generally, though, much of the problem stems from lax maintenance, outright neglect, and stressful growing conditions.
Education, therefore, is a priority for organizations which teach neighborhood volunteers proper aftercare, from pruning to watering. Community groups that plant trees, must shoulder the responsibility of looking after the trees until they are mature enough to grow by themselves. I am sure that this project would set a good example for other hotels, industries and individuals to take heed and start acting today before it gets too late. I extend my best wishes for success to JETWING and its collaborators
“If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.” – Confucius
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Sue Hurdle -
We seem to have reached a critical point in our evolution. A point at which human beings must make a choice about whether we wish to change our behaviour today in order to safeguard the future of the generations that follow us. The business community has an exceptionally important role to play in driving this change. And tourism, the world's largest industry, has a fantastic opportunity to lead the campaign. It is wonderful to see Jetwing seizing the initiative in Sri Lanka through the creation of its Eternal Earth Project. This important scheme provides the industry, visitors and the local community with a chance to play their part in safeguarding our common future. I am sure it will be the start of much bigger things to come in Sri Lanka.
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Renton de Alwis -
The Jetwing Eternal Earth Project (JEEP) is one such programme in making a solid contribution in the area of mitigating the causes of climate change. Where every drop counts to make the wide ocean of action in this area, the JEEP project stands tall. I am happy that this project will become an integral part of Sri Lanka Tourism's "Towards a Carbon Clean Sri Lanka: A Tourism Earth Lung" initiative together with those of likeminded others in our industry. Together, we in Sri Lanka Tourism can demonstrate to the world at large, that our contributions will be significant to make this world a better place for all of us and the future generations to live in and for tourism to strive.
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Irangani Serasinghe - Patron
The Jetwing Eternal Earth Project is a fine chance for you – whether you are old or young, big or small – to help this beautiful world to stay that way forever, and to enable you to go on living in it comfortably. We must all work together towards this goal – or perish. Just now we are hurtling along towards our own destruction not knowing what to do about it. The JEEP tells you what you can do and how you can do it. Lets join hands and do it together. It’s serious work, but could also be fun-work. Lets do it now before it is too late!
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Marie Eriksson (Msc)
My experience of volunteering with the JEEP at Jetwing Hunas Falls -
Today, three months after coming back home from Sri Lanka, I realize how much my stay in Sri Lanka, volunteering with the JEEP, has affected me. Going there was not an obvious decision for me but I am very happy I went there. The stay there wouldn’t be as great as it was without the Naturalist Mr Bandara, who, with patience, taught me about the JEEP and made me work hard. Because it was hard work for sure. But working hard with the local people for a good aim is better than any work. It was warm, humid, rainy, windy and dirty. There were snakes and leaches, aching muscles and culture crashes (some frustrating and some fun). But, the most important, it was a chance to meet very warm and caring people, learn about a new culture, new religions, eat food I never have tasted before and see a part of the world, where people work very hard and don’t take things for granted. To learn new things each day was a great challenge. There was also a challenge to respect and understand the way people behave and act. To be a white woman, working like a man, in an Eastern country was interesting. I made great friends both with the male and female staff and I do miss them. The fact that I stayed at a hotel helped me a lot. There were facilities making life a little easier, the staff speaks English and the food is good. Sri Lanka is a country that is very beautiful and welcoming, but also a country that needs for example the tourism industry to be able to develop their economy.
How the JEEP and the way Jetwing Hotels work is something I understand more and more about now when I am studying Responsible Tourism. JEEP is a great project, since it is involving the locals and but also a social and economic responsibility, developing the local communities and involving them. I am proud of being a tiny part of this. Though, the JEEP project needs more resources to be able to develop to fulfill its goals. The lemon grass on the JEEP site is a severe problem and a lot of man hours is needed to help the plants to survive. One thing could be to involve other volunteers from the rest of the world, for example forestry students that want to get practical experience, or engaging companies who want to build their brands by taking their corporate social responsibility. More hotel chains and companies should learn from the JEEP project.
Lastly, I will never forget the great evenings with my friends in the staff at the balcony, eating great food and hearing stories about Sri Lanka. Thank you for giving me this unforgettable experience and giving me the belief that a difference actually can be made.
Ayubowan! |
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