GROWING A LEGACY
Weir transforming barren field with green-space project aimed at cooling, sustaining Old Harbour High School
Published:Monday | October 6, 2025 | 12:10 AMSashana Small/Staff Reporter
To access this article in full please login or register today
A group of students hurried to take shelter under a lone tree from the blazing mid-morning sun after a physical education class at the Old Harbour High School in St Catherine, recently. Watching from the sidelines, Principal Lynton Weir shared his...
A group of students hurried to take shelter under a lone tree from the blazing mid-morning sun after a physical education class at the Old Harbour High School in St Catherine, recently. Watching from the sidelines, Principal Lynton Weir shared his vision of transforming the now-barren field into a green space lined with trees to provide comfort and shade for his students.
He has already begun putting things in place to achieve that goal. A few weeks ago, with donations from the charity organisation, Food For The Poor, Weir planted ackee trees around the field.
“We want to have shade for our students during the sporting activities, but, at the same time, we are not just doing primary shade trees. We’re doing trees that will provide shade, but at the same time provide food,” he explained to The Gleaner.
Weir, who was a teacher of environmental and agriculture science at the school before he became principal 15 years ago, said this is his latest project in a bid to create a green school environment that he hopes will combat some of the impacts of climate change.
“All the plants, as far as you can see, I plant every one of them,” he said.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. The process, known as carbon sequestration, removes warming greenhouse gases and mitigates rising temperatures and extreme weather.
He said he has been very intentional about creating a verdant school ground that vividly contrasts the heat and noise of the busy street the school is located on.
Over the years, he has curated what he described as a resilient park at the entrance of the school’s campus, a space filled with lush vegetation and fruit trees, including soursop, naseberry, sweetsop, and bananas.
“When students come to school, students should enjoy school, and, in enjoying school, they should be able to, if they are hungry and there are fruits, they should be able to reap fruits,” he said.
MEDICINAL PLANTS
The area also has a section for medicinal plants such as mint, a paved walkway for students, and a seating area where they can relax.
Shaded seated areas are a highlight of the 19-acre campus, a deliberate act by Weir to encourage students to connect with the nature they are surrounded by.
“Plants are the natural air conditioning unit of the environment,” he said. “Our plants serve as shade, our plants serve as food, our plants serve as food, our plants serve to conserve the environment in terms of reducing and preventing soil erosion.”
As he assisted sixth-form student Rhodae Rose to plant a star apple tree in the plantain garden, Weir expressed hope that more young people would take an interest in farming and horticulture.
He noted that a number of students at the school pursue studies in agriculture science and have continued their education in that area at tertiary institutions.
A graduate of the College of Agriculture Science and Education, Weir told The Gleaner that there are currently eight teachers on staff that are also graduates of the institution.
“Old Harbour is traditionally an agriculture community and that is why so many of our students participate in agriculture in this area, because of the community’s history of agriculture,” he said.
Boasting of the school’s consistency in achieving a 100 per cent pass rate in Agriculture Science at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate level, Weir noted that the school’s expansive farm also contributes to this.
The farm, which houses layer chickens, broiler birds, rabbits and ducks and other livestock, provides important practical experience for students while also serving as a source of income for the school.
Expressing gratitude to Food For The Poor for their help with this part of the project, Weir also noted that seeking collaboration with various partners was key to his developing the grounds of the 55-year-old institution, and adding his bits to its legacy.
“The ministry will not be able to provide you with all the things that you need. You have to have a vision for your school and, in having a vision for your school, you have to seek partnership, you have to communicate with outsiders and create a partnership,” he said.