Road Town, Tortola - The Environment Month’s Parade for the Planet held on June 9th, along the streets of Road Town attracted widespread participation and organisers are conveying a huge sense of satisfaction with the event.
Chief Conservation and Fisheries Officer Mr. Bertrand Lettsome, who wore a costume depicting a Red Mangrove, told the Department of Information and Public Relations that he was satisfied with the huge turnout and participation from the local organisations, schools, and government and non-government agencies. The Parade is one of the highlights of Environment Month which is celebrated annually in June.
“This event was in keeping with the Environment Month’s theme, Biodiversity: Connecting with Nature, as groups depicted an aspect of local animal or plant life and our relationship with them through a colourful display of costumes, banners, and placards,” Mr. Lettsome said.
“The staff of the Conservation and Fisheries Department sported costumes depicting how we depend on biodiversity, how we impact it and how we can protect it. Six costumes represented our dependence on mangroves, coral reefs and dive tourism, trees, conchs, green turtles, and lobsters. Impacts highlighted were destructive beachfront development, sedimentation, anchor damage, overfishing, and the invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish.
The Department encouraged protection of biodiversity by minimizing these impacts, observing the closed seasons for conch, lobsters, and green turtles, and by properly disposing of garbage,” Mr. Lettsome added.
Ms. Angela Burnett Penn, Climate Change Coordinator at the Department and one of the Parade organizers expressed that she was impressed with the quality of the costumes created by the participating groups as well as their presentations.
“It is clear that the students have a good understanding of what biodiversity is and how we are connected to it. It was a pleasure knowing that all persons used recycled or natural materials for their costumes”, Ms. Burnett Penn said.
The participating Government departments, non-government groups and schools included the Department of Information and Public Relations, BVI Tourist Board, BVI National Parks Trust, Willard Wheatley Primary School, Isabella Morris Primary School, BVI Girl Guides Association, BVI Technical and Vocational Institute, St. Georges Secondary School, Elmore Stoutt High School, and the BVI Elite Sky Dancers.
The Parade concluded at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park where several spectators enjoyed an afternoon of environmentally conscious performances by the groups involved in the Parade.
St. Georges Secondary School won the Parade for the Planet trophy that was sponsored by Digicel for best costume and best presentation as they enlightened the crowd on the value of coral reefs and described the many costumes they created from recycled material which were designed as marine life, local animals and plant life.
Other Environment Month activities will include the Growing Green Fair sponsored by Green Tech which is a Part of the BVI Go Green Festival on June 25 and 26 at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park, a sunset service and nature walk at Josiah’s Bay on June 26th at 4:00 p.m., and Fisherman’s Day celebrations on July 2 at Long Bay Beach, Beef Island beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Department officials will also be guests on radio talk shows and television programmes to promote the activities during the month.
To learn more about Environment Month, persons can contact the Conservation and Fisheries Department at 468-3701 extension 5555 or 5551 or visit their office in the Quastisky Building on the 2nd floor.
Environment Month has been observed annually in the BVI since 1993.
British Virgin Islands News