Jetwing Hotels Ltd News 15 June 2009 139 views No Comment  Print This Post  Email This Post

Jetwing Hotels, an associate company of the Sri Lankan conglomerate Hayleys launched the Jetwing Eternal Earth Project a year ago, a modest initiative as a responsible corporate citizen to contribute towards minimizing Global warming and its effects for the benefit of mankind. As a responsible tourism partner the project has also been associated with Sri Lanka Tourism’s ‘Earth Lung’ initiative aimed at making Sri Lanka a Great Green Destination.

The project was launched in January 2007, at Jetwing Hunas Falls, Kandy. Under this project a model re-forestation was implemented, which can be replicated in many other climatic zones as well as in small scale plots of land. Of the hundred acres of barren land adjacent to the hotel which was allocated for this project, the team was pleased to report that approximately 8 acres are planted with around 1200 trees grown under the method of analogue forestry and forest garden concepts. From this total count, at least 1000 trees come as an investment by hotel guests who consider this initiative as their personal contribution to neutralize effects of carbon emission caused by long haul travel.

The key objective of the project is to use this model and its process as a method of educating the younger generations through the schools and other youth fora, in order to enable them to secure a safe earth, both for themselves and the generations to follow. Each hotel and other operational units within the Jetwing family have taken on two foster schools over the year, with new schools are being added each year. The objective is to educate children on Global Warming, Bio-diversity, Home/School Gardening and Good Earth Saving Practices’.

JEEP has received tremendous support from the School heads, Teachers and students from the vicinity who visit the forest project and voluntarily carry out numerous tasks for the project. School groups by prior arrangement could visit the project’s Earth Centre created for the purpose and learn about environmental issues and practices under the project from the Jetwing Hunas Falls Earth Team.

Anyone who wishes trees to be planted on their behalf could also visit the ‘Web Forest’ on Jeep website www.eternalearth.net and make their own investment towards this valuable cause for the benefit of mankind.

The community involvement of the project is another dimension that is being encouraged to harness its relationship with the tourism industry and make it a catalyst in creating awareness among local communities about the value of tourism to the people of Sri Lanka and how they can benefit from the industry without causing damage to the environment.

This project has been perceived as an excellent opportunity to promote Sri Lanka as an exemplary Green Destination to the rest of the world. The success of JEEP and its positive effects has also influenced the management to convert Jetwing Hunas Falls into a total eco friendly destination and recent developments have resulted in the installation of a Wood Gassifier as well as a Mini Hydro power project at the hotel. The Gassifier will burn Gliricedia Sepium fuel wood in en enclosed chamber in an environment friendly process to produce hot water for guest usage. Planting giricelia is already taking place in the JEEP forest that also enriches the infertile soil with nitrogen. The Hydro power generation from the free flowing water from Hunas falls will supplement the power requirements of the hotel. The benefits once again are twofold; one is the direct economic benefit to the hotel from a free supply of energy, whilst the other is the reduction of dependence on the main grid which in turn reduces carbon emission from thermal power generation.

The strong Jetwing core values have remained at the heart of the successful management of this project and reinforce Jetwing’s commitment to the good earth that we have inherited.

Earlier this year a simple ceremony was held at Jetwing Hunas Falls to celebrate the tremendous success of the project in this inaugural year. The event had the patronage of Mr. Bernard Gunatilleke, the former Sri Lanka Ambassador to US, who is now the current Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, as the Chief Guest. Environment activist and veteran actress Iranganie Serasinghe who is also the Patron of the project, and Rajiv Sebastian, Honorary Brand Ambassador of the project, several school children, earth teams of Jetwing hotels and other distinguished invitees witnessed the event extending their commitment to the cause of JEEP; the long term mitigation of Global Warming. The launch of the first ever ‘Earth Song’ compiled in Sinhala, Tamil and English, supported by school children was written and launched by Rajiv Sebastian, in a melodious determination of the commitment of all stake holders to the ideals of JEEP.

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