List of Contents
Executive Summary The Sandwatch project, initiated in 1998, seeks to reduce the level of pollution in the Caribbean Sea; to train school students in the scientific observation and measurement of beaches; and to assist school students, with the help of their local communities, to apply the scientific data collected to implement projects to enhance their beaches. Supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through the Caribbean Sea Project, the Associated Schools Project Net, and the platform for Environment and Development in Coastal Regions and Small Islands, the project started with a training workshop in St. Lucia in 2001. During this workshop, teachers from 18 countries met to learn about the methods and discuss plans for the first phase of the project. During the next two years, teachers and students worked to scientifically monitor changes in beach characteristics and use patterns. Students and teachers from 12 Caribbean countries met during the Second Regional Sandwatch Workshop in Dominica in July 2003 to present their findings and plan activities for the second phase of the project. The results of the students monitoring activities, which were of a very high quality, are described in this report, and were judged by education representatives from Cook Islands, Palau and Seychelles, who participated in the workshop as part of the inter-regional activities of a related UNESCO project, Small Islands Voice. An assessment of phase 1 recognised the many benefits of the Sandwatch project, including the renewed interest in science and its application, and the potential for Sandwatch activities to be integrated into many different subjects across the curriculum, from mathematics to creative arts. However, in order to successfully implement phase 2 of the project - the execution of school and community-based beach projects - there is a need for additional support from schools, communities, Ministries of Education, UNESCO National Commissions and the UNESCO regional office. Proposals for phase 2 projects were discussed and an action plan prepared. The inter-regional participants from the Indian Ocean and Pacific regions also prepared plans to start Sandwatch activities in their countries. Participants also learnt about the Small Islands Voice project, an initiative that seeks to bring together islanders in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific regions in a process of dialogue and activities for sustainable development. During workshop discussions, the students identified teenage pregnancy and drug abuse as the main issues of concern; while adults prioritised a set of social issues including drug abuse, crime, violence (especially gang violence) and unemployment as their main concerns. Overall the workshop concluded that with improved coordination and communication among the countries and the organising bodies, and some increased financial input, the potential of the Sandwatch project is enormous – to provide for inter-cultural exchange and peace building initiatives; to increase interest in science among students; and to reduce pollution and safeguard beach resources. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ‘How can we resolve environment
and development issues in a peaceable and lasting manner so that
we do not have to face the same dilemmas year after year?’ This was the question posed by Mr. Felix Gregoire, Permanent Secretary in Dominica’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, to the participants of the Second Regional Sandwatch workshop in July 2003. And indeed it is a question that faces all the 16 countries represented at the workshop on a daily basis as they seek to balance the demands made by development with the need to conserve the environment. The particular matter to which Mr. Gregoire referred related to the establishment of a whaling sanctuary in the South Pacific, but the listening participants face issues much closer to home, ranging from pollution of their beaches and coastal waters by solid waste and sewage to the demands posed by tourism developers for the prime undeveloped beach sites, often a favourite haunt for residents. These issues are among those covered by the Sandwatch project, an initiative which began in 1998 and seeks to: Ø reduce the level of pollution in the Caribbean Sea Ø train school students in the scientific observation and measurement of beaches Ø assist school students, with the help of their local communities, to apply the scientific data collected to the management of the region’s beaches As Mr. Julian Brewster, Mayor of Portsmouth, Dominica, said at the workshop opening in July 2003: ‘Collectively each of us must
do what is necessary to keep the Caribbean Sea free of pollution
and influence our governments in adopting effective policies.’ The idea for the Sandwatch project emerged during an Environmental Education Workshop held in Tobago in July 1998, when teachers and students identified the region’s beaches as requiring special care, whilst also providing a wonderful learning environment for youth. The project has been developed and supported by several initiatives and organizations: Ø Caribbean Sea Project, an initiative of the Associated Schools Project Net, which focuses on the marine environment, sustainable human development and inter-cultural awareness. It seeks to encourage cooperation among Caribbean Basin territories with a view to enlisting young people, their parents and communities, in the protection and preservation of the Caribbean Sea, including the waterways and wetlands linked to it, and the strengthening of Caribbean identity. Ø Associated Schools Project Net (ASPnet) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which involves more than 7,500 member schools in more than 170 countries. ASPnet seeks to build peace through education and to establish a climate of mutual respect and non-violence in the classroom, the school, the family and the community.
Ø UNESCO’s platform for Environment and Development in Coastal Regions and Small Islands (CSI), which seeks to develop wise practices for the management of conflicts over resources and values; and in particular one of its field projects named ‘Managing beaches and planning for coastline change, Caribbean Islands’ (COSALC). Sandwatch project: a short
history Inception The project was developed during workshops and planning sessions over the period 1998-1999. The idea for the name ‘Sandwatch’ came from the young people taking part in the Environmental Education Workshop, held in Tobago in 1998. A project document for the Sandwatch project was presented to the meeting of coordinators of the Caribbean Sea Project, held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in May 1999, where it was endorsed. In this project document, the Sandwatch initiative was divided into two phases: a first phase of approximately 18 months during which students monitor changes in their beaches and analyse the data; followed by a second phase when the students, together with their communities, apply the results of the scientific monitoring to design and implement small projects to improve and enhance their beaches. First Regional Sandwatch Workshop, St. Lucia, May 2001 In May 2001, the project was officially launched in St. Lucia, when teachers from the participating countries met to learn about the methods to be used in Sandwatch and to discuss plans for the first phase. The following 18 countries took part in the First Regional Sandwatch Workshop in St. Lucia, 31st May – 2nd June 2001: Antigua and Barbuda Aruba Bahamas Barbados Belize British Virgin Islands Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Guyana Jamaica Netherlands Antilles St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Annex I contains a list of the country representatives who took part in this First Regional Sandwatch Workshop. Teachers from the 18 Caribbean territories were trained in simple beach monitoring techniques and provided with manuals and equipment sufficient for three schools in each country. The teachers agreed to act as national Sandwatch coordinators and involve other schools in their countries. During the workshop teachers were trained in the following activities: Ø beach observations Ø measurement of beach debris Ø water quality monitoring Ø monitoring of human activities on the beach Ø physical beach changes (erosion/accretion) Ø sand characteristics Ø wave measurements Ø current measurements Ø turtle nesting activity Ø observations of animals and plants The training included field measurements as well as data analysis procedures. Activities ranged from simpler activities for primary school students to more complex field methods and data analysis for secondary school students. While the workshop sessions included a brief introduction to all the above measurements, the teachers were advised to select the monitoring activities in which they were most interested and which were most relevant to their particular beaches. Thus a teacher and his/her particular class might prefer to select just one or two activities from the above list on which to focus. On return to their countries, the national coordinators met with teachers from other schools, distributed the equipment and shared the information provided during the First Regional Sandwatch Workshop. They then started working with their students to monitor beaches near their schools, and to collect and analyse the data. Second Regional Sandwatch Workshop, Dominica, July 2003 This workshop for students and teachers was held at the Portsmouth Cruise Ship Berth, Portsmouth, Dominica from 7-9th July 2003. Students presented the results of their beach monitoring work through oral presentations and exhibits. The workshop also provided an opportunity to assess the first phase of the project and begin planning the second phase. The goals of the workshop were to: Ø exhibit, present and judge the results from the beach monitoring activities undertaken during Phase 1 of the Sandwatch project Ø prepare plans for Phase 2 of the Sandwatch project, ‘Implementation of beach enhancement projects’ Ø evaluate the Sandwatch project to date, and develop a long-term strategy for developing Sandwatch activities country-wide Ø provide opportunities and activities for students and teachers to interact with each other and learn about Dominica: its people, culture, environment and especially its beaches Ø introduce the Small Islands Voice initiative to the Wider Caribbean region The workshop programme is included in Annex II. Student and teacher representatives attended from the following countries: Bahamas Barbados British Virgin Islands Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Guyana St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Two educators attended from the Netherlands Antilles (Curaço). A complete list of the participants is contained in Annex III. Representatives from Aruba, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Costa Rica and Jamaica were unable to attend for different reasons including illness and travel difficulties. The Cook Islands and Palau in the Pacific, and Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, were also represented at the workshop. This was arranged through cooperation with another UNESCO project ‘Small Islands Voice,’ an initiative which seeks to bring together islanders in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific regions in a process of dialogue and activities for sustainable development. CHAPTER 2 SANDWATCH PROJECT
RESULTS 2001-2003 Using drama and creative
arts
This original dramatic piece was written by Ms. Vernette Ollivierre of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It was performed by Ms. Racquel Phillips and Mr. Michael Peniston of the Bequia Community High School at the closing ceremony of the Second Regional Sandwatch Workshop in Dominica. As Mr. Stephenson Hyacinth, Chief Education Officer, Ministry for Education, Sports and Youth Affairs, noted in the closing ceremony: ‘Drama and creative arts are not only an art form, but a method of teaching, and through this medium the students have spoken very clearly.’ The closing ceremony also saw two other dramatic pieces, written and acted by the students taking part in the workshop, and portraying two issues about which they felt strongly: teenage pregnancy and drug abuse. Sandwatch beach monitoring
presentations The twelve Caribbean countries represented (not including the Netherlands Antilles) all prepared displays, and the student representatives gave a 10-minute presentation on their beach monitoring activities. All the presentations and exhibits were of a very high quality. The three inter-regional participants from Cook Islands, Palau and Seychelles played a key role in the workshop by judging the oral and visual presentations from the Caribbean participating countries according to a set of pre-determined criteria, see Annex IV. Judging was conducted in two categories: primary schools (7-11 years) and secondary schools (12-18 years). At the workshop only one school from each country was represented, with the exception of the host country, Dominica. However in most of the Caribbean countries several schools have been involved in phase 1 of the Sandwatch project, these are listed in Annex V. Primary school presentations Bahamas One school has been involved in Sandwatch activities in the Bahamas, the Hope Town Primary School on Abaco. The presentation on Sandwatch monitoring was given by Ms. Katie Joseph. She described how Hurricane Floyd had nearly destroyed the island of Abaco in 1999, although the island and its communities had recovered in the following years. Her school had measured many different aspects of the island’s beaches including erosion, waves, currents, water quality and ways in which the beaches were used. They had also done some work on animals that use the beach such as turtles and whales and she described a recent whale beaching incident. They had also monitored beach debris and the students had produced an interesting ‘beach pizza’ made of debris found on the beach. The presentation was concluded with the distribution of some maps and promotional material relating to the Bahamas. Dominica Four primary schools were involved in the Sandwatch project in Dominica: Dublanc Primary School, Salisbury Primary School, Colibistrie Primary School and Colihaut Primary School. All had been fully involved in monitoring beaches although unfortunately the Colihaut Primary School had been forced to stop monitoring activities when the beach they were working on was protected with a boulder revetment which covered up the beach area. The students from Dublanc Primary School: Ms.
Eudorra Bertrand, Ms. Diedre Fountaine and Ms. Crystal Hilton described
the characteristics of their beach and showed some of the poems,
stories and pictures the class had prepared.
They had identified garbage and debris as the main problem
at their beach. Then they conducted an interview survey to
find out how people viewed the beach and they described how some
interviewees had responded by swearing at them.
Finally they prepared placards and held a march round the
village to tell people to listen and get it right and keep the beach
clean. After their march people from the community went to the beach and
cleaned it. As a follow-up
activity the students wrote to the Village Council.
They also demonstrated how they had made decorative bottles
and pencil holders using the materials discarded on the beach. Mr. Quincy Casimir, Ms. Clesha Larocque and Mr. Kelton Vidal of Salisbury Primary Schools described their observations and the results of their beach debris measurements. According to an interview survey they conducted, 90% of the respondents felt the beach was clean and that most of the debris was of natural origins. They used bar graphs to illustrate this point. They suggested the beach could be improved with toilets, signs and benches. Trinidad and Tobago The Point Fortin Secondary Schools had initially
started Sandwatch activities, but for several reasons these had
been abandoned. As a result
of contact and collaboration with the Bequia Community High School
in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Mr. Saleem
Dane Ali described how the Mayaro Government Primary School had recently become involved
in the Sandwatch project. This
school had previously carried out beach clean-up activities and
environmental field trips. They had selected Plaisance Beach for
monitoring, although activities were only just beginning. This was
the only school in Trinidad and Tobago involved in the Sandwatch
project. Secondary school presentations Barbados Training in Sandwatch monitoring activities had been provided to four schools in Barbados: Coleridge and Parry School, Garrison Secondary School, Ellerslie Secondary School and St. James Secondary School. However, only in the first two schools was monitoring actually conducted, with the Coleridge and Parry School concentrating on the physical changes in the beach and the processes shaping them, and the Garrison Secondary School monitoring beach debris and turtles.
Mr. Anderson Whittier of the Environmental Club of the Coleridge and Parry School described how contact had been made with the Government of Barbados’ Coastal Zone Management Unit who had provided some additional training. Monitoring of the waves, currents and beach erosion, as well as water quality in the salt pond started in January 2002. The project had won a silver award at the 2002 Regional Science Fair. In addition, the results of the monitoring had been presented to the public on World Water Day and an exhibition had been displayed. A beach clean-up had also been conducted. The project had been presented at the school’s annual speech day. British Virgin Islands Schools in the British Virgin Islands have not yet started monitoring activities, however, the British Virgin Islands High School was keen to start. Ms Shaniqua Henley presented an overview of the problems facing some of the beaches in the British Virgin Islands. She described how a water quality problem at the popular Cane Garden Bay had been solved with a sewage treatment plant and how the residents of the area had conducted an effective clean-up campaign. She also referred to the erosion at Cappoons Bay, a popular surfing beach where littering was a problem especially at full moon parties. Beach sand mining is also a problem in Tortola, especially at Josiahs Bay. The British Virgin Islands are planning to start an adopt-a-beach project soon. Cuba The following schools were fully involved in the monitoring activities: Instituto Preuniversitano Vocacional de Ciencias Exactas ‘Ernesto Gueuara’ Santa Clara, Instituto Preuniversitano Vocacional de Ciencias Exactas ‘Frederico Engles’ Pinar del Rio, Escuela Primeria ‘Guerillero Heroica’ Ciudad Habana, Escuela de Arte, Escuela Secundario Basica. Ms. Lisett Pérez Quintero said she represented 933 students and described how the school at Santa Clara chose two beaches for monitoring – a virgin beach and a more heavily used beach with pollution problems. They monitored the beach characteristics and changes as well as the use of the beach. Visits were made to environmental agencies and the Santa Clara community were involved in a regular series of cleaning and replanting exercises. Younger students took part in raising the level of awareness about the beach problems. A radio programme, newspaper articles and a newsletter ‘Nature and I’ were prepared. Now the community are helping with the work on a regular basis and it had been agreed by all concerned that the level of pollution had been decreased. They are now trying to extend the programme to other beaches with pollution problems and to extend the project to other Cuban provinces. The Sandwatch monitoring activities are being incorporated into different subjects: biology, mathematics, geography. Dominica The Portsmouth Secondary School had recently become involved in the Sandwatch project. Ms. Bernella Breedy, Ms. Jerelle Joseph and Ms. Gail Sharplis described how they had monitored erosion, waves, tide and beach debris at Glanvillia Beach over a seven-day period. They had found that plastics were the main component of the debris. They had written poems about the beach and prepared a video showing their activities. Dominican Republic Twelve schools had been involved in the Sandwatch monitoring activities: Liceo de Educación Media ‘Pedernales’, Pedernales Centro Educativo ‘Las Américas’, Santo Domingo Liceo de Educación Media ‘Ernestina Tejeda’, Villa Fundación Liceo de Educación Media ‘Francisco Gregorio Billini’, Bani Liceo de Educación Media ‘Gastón F. Deligne’, San Pedro de Macorís Colegio ‘San Pedro Apóstol’, San Pedro de Macorís Liceo de Educación Media ‘Sor Ana Nolan’ Consulo, San Pedro de Macorís Colegio Santa Rosa de Lima, Santo Domingo Liceo de Educación Media ‘Arístedes García Mella’, La Romana Colegio Santa Teresita, Santo Domingo Liceo de Educación Media ‘San Rafael’ San Rafael del Yuma Liceo de Educación Media ‘John F. Kennedy’ Boca de Yuma Mr. Juan Mejia Reyes described how waves, currents, beach erosion,
and sand composition had been measured on a regular basis at three
beaches. Their work had show
different types of pollution problems including an increase in silt. The river and the fishing communities were
a source of pollution. They
had talked to some of the communities about the pollution problem
and had also had articles published in the newspaper. Grenada The Anglican High School had been working on the Sandwatch project and Ms. Jodie-Anne Johnson described how beach erosion, sand characteristics, water quality, waves and longshore drift had been measured at Grand Anse Beach. They had noted that algae had covered the beach at times. They had met with the Ministry of Health and the Board of Tourism. The students were planning to begin an anti-pollution campaign. Future activities would include a questionnaire survey of beach users, and a seagrape tree planting activity – scheduled for mid-August 2003. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
