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SANDWATCH/SIV
youth group of the Bequia Community High School
Summary of activities
May
- December 2004
| May
7 2004 |
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Three
teachers and three students participated in a workshop sponsored
by GEMS Environmental Management Services on biodiversity, climate
change and ozone depletion. Participants shared ideas and concepts
towards national policies on the topics discussed, and should be
reporting regularly on action taken on the ground in their various
communities |
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| May
28 2004 |
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Sandwatch
Bequia hosted the Sandwatch students and teachers of the St. Martins
Secondary School on Bequia, for a follow-up on beach monitoring
techniques. Areas covered included water quality analysis, measuring
erosion and accretion using the abney level, measuring longshore
currents and doing a debris analysis. |
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| June
13 2004 |
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Hosted
students and staff of the Environmental Science Faculty of the University
of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados. Discussions centered around
the activities and programme of the Sandwatch/SIV youth of Bequia,
along with an historical perspective of life on the island. |
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| June
24 - 25 2004 |
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Three
students and one teacher participated in a wondrous West Indian
Wetlands workshop. The importance of wetlands to costal ecological
stability was emphasized. Practical experiences in conducting field
t rips, and conducting critter studies to enhance the importance
of wetlands formed an integral part of the two days. |
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| July
17 - 18 2004 |
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Teamed
up with the Interlocker Summer camp visitors from New Hampshire
U. S. A. to work with younger kids on Bequia on social, cultural
and environmental issues. The visitors were taught Sandwatch techniques,
as they enjoyed the sun and sand. |
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| July
17 2004 |
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Teamed
up with Interlocker students to construct environmentally friendly
glass crete park benches. |
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| July
20 2004 |
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Visited
the Tobago Cays marine park with the Interlocker students, in order
to attain a greater understanding of the flora and fauna of the
park area and to observe the coral reef. |
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| August
12 2004 |
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Hosted
Randolph Woodruffe and 40 students and parents from the Barbados
Sandwatch team, on a guided tour of the Hawksbill Turtle Conservation
project, and conducted a slide show outlining our perspective of
changing lifestyles on the island, with emphasis on costal development
and environmental degradation, followed by a field demonstration
of Sandwatch techniques on the beach at Port Elizabeth. |
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| September
14 - 16 2004 |
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Three
teachers and three students participated in a Ministry of Health
workshop. "The building synergies to prerequisite for effective
management for sustainable development". Participants were involved
in the decision making process for three days and felt comfortable
sharing their experiences while working with other groups and islands
on the Sandwatch/SIV youth programme (an example of synergies at
work) Sandwatch posters, Small Island Voice publications, and wise
practices for coping with beach erosion were distributed. |
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| September
18 2004 |
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Five teachers
and over 20 Sandwatch students participated in the International
Coastal Cleanup Programme. The passage of Hurricane Ivan carried
massive coastal erosion on the south and eastern sides of the
Island. Drains and outlets were blocked by debris. The team worked
from 7:30 am to 12:15pm, and removed literally tons of debris
which included 575, 1qt outboard lube oil plastic bottles, and
at 1,129 plastic soft drink and water bottles from an area no
more than 600 square feet.
Students involved in the clean up
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| October
15 2004 |
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The Sandwatch/SIV
group was presented with an FAO award, as part of our Nation's
celebration of "Biodiversity for Food Security". Sandwatch/ SIV
Youth, was recognised for our contribution to sustainable development
and environmental protection and preservation
Mr.
Herman Belmar accepting the FAO award from Mrs Gyrlin Migeul,
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
Nekesha
Gordon and Joanna Stowe with the award for the Sandwatch group
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| December
2004 |
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The
Ministry of Tourism of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Central
Water and Sewage Authorities/Solid Waste Management Authorities,
in recognition of the work we are doing in the preservation of our
environment, invited the Bequia Community High School Sandwatch
team to conduct a one day workshop on Bequia. Students from the
seven schools on the island were taken on a fieldtrip, to examine
the effects of pollution on the terrestrial and marine environment,
with great emphasis on water pollution. The impact of pollution
on the economy and the environment, as well as the advantages of
using a sanitary landfill instead of an open dump were analysed.
Water samples were taken from polluted areas, and analysed at the
Community High School's lab. Final reports from the Ministry of
Tourism indicated that the organisers as well as the students all
had an enjoyable time, and they were pleased with the depth of knowledge
imparted by the Sandwatch team. "Sandwatch is playing a role in
the education of our Youth" |
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| December
2004 |
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The
Sandwatch team was awarded a small grant, for a project submitted
under the "Mini Project for Sustainable Grenadine Development".
This project is part funded by the Caribbean Conservation Association,
Projects Promotion, Carriacou Environmental Committee, CERMES, UWI,
and supported by the Lighthouse Foundation. This project will definitely
enhance the work of Sandwatch/SIV Youth on Bequia, and will enhance
the community of Paget Farm considerably. |
Sandwatch
Kids
Helping the Marine Environment
Ivan the terrible
came, made its headlines, setting the stage for the students of the
Bequia UNESCO Sandwatch/SIV youth group and hundreds of thousands of
other environmentally conscious persons around the world, to participate
in International Costal Cleanup 2004, on September 18.
The Bequia project
took place in Paget Farm, next to Jeff Gregg shop, close to the end
of the JF. Mitchell runway. Although this area is usually in some need
of attention, hurricane Ivan compounded the problem by forcing everything
in its path up the drains and totally blocking the culverts. The students
totally underestimated the problem, as they started cleaning at 7:30am
and anticipated returning home by 9:00. However 12:15 saw the enthusiastic
bunch doing the final touches. When approximately 70 large garbage bags
were filled, they resorted to a wheel borrow, pick axes and rakes, as
literally tons of debris was removed. Of great significance ultimately
at the end of the exercise, were the impressive figures on the International
tally sheets supplied by the ocean conservancy. Plastic beverage bottles
topped the list with 1,129, followed closely by 1qt plastic outboard
lube oil bottles with 578, and plastic bags 204.
These figures are
alarming when one considers the area cleaned to be no more than 600
square feet, and the count does not include items too filthy to be examined
for closer identification.
The stench of the
area, and the colour of the water that finally trickled through, also
alarmed the workers, especially when shoals of juvenile fish were seen
inhabiting the rocks crevasses and swimming pools of the immediate shore.
The impact on the food chain was hammered home in the young minds, but
whether or not the adult fisher folk are aware of the problem they are
helping to create is not known.
Sandwatch students
plan to do a water analysis in the area soon, to better understand the
ecological problem. Meanwhile they are appealing to the people of the
entire southern community to utilize the facilities of the solid waste
management system. Residents are advised to put out their garbage for
collection on Mondays and Thursdays and not dump them in the drains
and seashoe. Garbage generates toxic chemicals that affect massive creatures,
which would eventually affect the seafood that we eat. We cannot cut
off the hands that feed us.
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