Today is World Environment Day and it also marks another milestone for the Athena Forest.
We are about to plant our 7,500th tree, creating a rich canopy that stretches across Africa, helping to off set our impact on the planet.
Two years ago we made a vow to plant five trees for each resident coming to live with us, and since then we have planted 7,465 trees with 300 more about to take root in honour of our newest residents.
The Athena Forest includes mangroves in Madagascar, forest gardens in Tanzania, fruit trees in Morocco and reforestation areas in Mozambique.
As well as the tree scheme, we have recently adopted a new environmentally-friendly cleaning solution in our five homes across East Anglia, replacing six products with one multi-purpose concentrate supplied by a company which offers a closed loop recycling system.
Solar panels have been installed at recently-refurbished Milton Lodge in Peterborough and across our homes boilers have been upgraded to energy efficient, zero waste models.
James Eley, Marketing Manager for Athena Care Homes, introduced the tree planting scheme back in 2021.
He said: “Sustainability is very important to us at Athena and something we are conscious of every day, but especially today as we celebrate World Environment Day.
“We want to protect our environment for the generations that follow us, and we are constantly looking at the little changes we can make that collectively make a big difference.
“The trees help to off-set out carbon footprint and they are also a lasting legacy to our residents, each cluster representing a special person who has come into our Athena family and created memories with us.”