After helping young sports fans become mangrove guardians in the Dominican Republic and the Philippines, Play for the Mangroves has expanded to its third country!

Play for the Mangroves is Seacology’s innovative program that combines youth sports with mangrove conservation. The program provides much-needed sports equipment and uniforms for local kids and hosts trainings and competitions for them. The participants visit nearby mangrove forests to pick up trash, observe wildlife, plant mangroves, and learn about these fascinating ecosystems hands-on. 

Mangroves, salt-tolerant trees that grow in shallow water along shorelines, are critically important to Jamaica’s coastal communities. The six species of mangroves found in this Caribbean island country provide a habitat for marine life, birds, and other animals, helping local fisheries and ecotourism thrive. They shield homes from tropical storms and bolster coastlines against rising seas and erosion. And they absorb enormous amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, benefitting the whole world by slowing climate change. 

Unfortunately, Jamaica’s mangroves are at risk. According to recent estimates, about a third of the country’s mangrove cover has been lost since the 1970s, after valuable coastal land was cleared for development and mangroves were cut for fuel or lumber. Many of these wetlands have also been inundated with plastic waste. Play for the Mangroves aims to mobilize the next generation of Jamaican conservation leaders, helping them understand and advocate for their country’s coastal wetlands while developing their athletic skills—and having fun. 

To implement the program in Jamaica, we’re working with Breds-Treasure Beach Foundation, a local nonprofit with decades of experience in conservation and community development through sports.  PFTM Jamaica will partner directly with schools, beginning with four primary schools near key mangrove areas in the country’s south. It focuses on two of the country’s most popular games: soccer and netball.