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Sandals Foundation says it will plant 7,000 trees and manage 7,000 more in the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park - a UNESCO World Heritage site in Jamaica - to kick-start Sandals Resorts International's (SRI) 40th anniversary year-long celebrations."The conservation efforts are being done in partnership with the Jamaica Conservation Development Trust and will enhance the biodiversity hot spot, which houses 50 per cent of the island's endemic plants, of which 30-40 per cent are found only within the property's boundaries," the foundation explained in a news release.The project is part of what Sandals has dubbed '40 For 40' under which the multiple award-winning resort group will engage in 40 sustainable community transformation projects in keeping with its long-standing mission of using the power of its brand to empower people and make the Caribbean a better place to live."At Sandals Resorts International we sell an experience that takes into account the culture, people, and natural resources that are unique to every island," the release quotes SRI executive chairman and Sandals Foundation founder and President Adam Stewart."Since the opening of our first resort in 1981, and long before the term corporate social responsibility was a popular phrase, we've used the power of tourism to drive change in all corners of our communities. That's what our 40 For 40 initiative represents - identifying projects that reflect our values of improving people's lives," added Stewart, who is also executive chairman of the Jamaica Observer.Noting that tourism is the most productive industry in the Caribbean, directly and indirectly impacting more than two million people, the foundation said now, as Sandals enters a year-long celebration of its 40th anniversary, the foundation will mobilise team members and collaborate with local organisations to execute projects that ensure food security, provide exposure to employment opportunities in the sector, invest in the region's biodiversity, enhance the capacity of local artisans to showcase their unique heritage, and develop communities to empower families who are part of the visitor experience.Sandals is also getting its team members involved by inviting them to nominate projects or programmes in their communities that create linkages to the tourism industry."Our team members and guests are at the heart of what we do, and so they will have the opportunity to roll up their sleeves by directly volunteering and contributing to the success of the projects, or by experiencing the outputs of the programmes through farm to table meals, joining local tours or helping to create beautiful learning gardens on our resorts," said Stewart."Over the next 12 months, and in addition to existing year-round efforts of our Sandals Foundation, these 40 projects will help to transform communities through tourism," he added.The foundation said that other projects across the region include doubling efforts to increase the capacity of local producers and farmers in Grenada to develop and streamline the sale of value-added products in the agro-processing industry, and the support of hospitality and service certification programmes in Antigua and The Bahamas that offer skills training and work experience to at-risk women and adolescents.