Roadtown, Tortola - The Territory will observe June as Environment Month under the theme Your Planet Needs You - Unite to Combat Climate Change.

Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Hon. Omar W. Hodge, who also has responsibility for the environment, says the month is a time to reflect and focus on the preservation and treatment of the environment and determine if our methods enhance our natural assets.

“All efforts should be made to preserve our ecosystem so that it is conserved for generations yet unborn. Good environmental management practices should be the aim of all the residents in the Territory,” the minister said.

In observance of the month, the Conservation and Fisheries Department has planned a number of activities beginning with Environment Day on June 5.  This year the Department has plans to promote a paperless energy efficient day and encourages the public to partner with them to ensure a successful outcome.

Environmental Education Officer Ms. Lynda Varlack explained during a GIS Radio Report ways in which the public can partner with the department.

“It is not that you will use no paper on that day or expend no energy on that day but use less than you normally do.  Shut off lights, turn off A/C’s, open windows, leave the car parked. Walk a block or two.  Try to slow down a bit so the car is more fuel efficient,” Ms. Varlack said.

Other ways the public can be more paperless and energy efficient at home include using hand towels to dry their hands instead of tissue paper; taking lunch in reusable containers instead of foil paper, plastic bags, or styrofoam containers; use one napkin when necessary instead of two; use energy efficient bulbs, unplug chargers when not in use and when cooking meals match the size of the pan to the size of the heating element.

At work the public may write lists or items on the back of an old document instead of using a new sheet of paper, e-mail memoranda and letters instead of printing and if a hard copy is necessary, print on both sides of the paper instead of one side.

Other activities for the month include an early morning sunrise church service on the western end of the Brandywine Bay Beach on June 14 at 5 a.m. in conjunction with the Sweet Redemptive Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Other planned activities include the annual Parade for the Planet which will be directly followed by the Growing Green Fair on June 10 at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park and an Apprentice for the Day programme to run from June 22-26.

As a wrap-up to the month’s activities, Fisherman’s Day will be celebrated on July 3 at Long Bay Beef Island Beach where fisherfolk can participate in a fishing tournament.  

The Conservation and Fisheries Department encourages the public to be a part of Environment Month and World Environment Day activities and to do their part to be environmental managers while combating climate change.

 The Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour and the Conservation and Fisheries Department envision a well managed, protected and preserved environment. Environment month has been celebrated annually in the Territory since 1992 and brings awareness to the public about the importance of preserving the environment.