THE Forestry Department has launched its inaugural Urban Forest Run, with proceeds from the event supporting the restoration of the Black River mangrove ecosystem in St Elizabeth and the reforestation of the Silent Hill Forest Reserve, both of which sustained significant damage during Hurricane Melissa.

The 5K event, scheduled for Sunday, August 23, was launched on Tuesday at the Forestry Department in St Andrew under the theme ‘Run in the East, RE-LEAF the West!’.

Minister of Water, Environment, and Climate Change Matthew Samuda said the initiative goes beyond fund-raising, serving as a national call to action for Jamaicans to participate in rebuilding the country’s forests.