~~Adz:Left~~Basseterre, St. Kitts (September 29, 2006): High School students throughout the island of St. Kitts took part in the annual coastal beach clean-up activity, Friday, September 22, 2006.
The St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service spoke to several students of the Basseterre High School who saw the international activity as important to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Kerida said it was a good thing to do because most of the tourists go to the beach and it would look bad if there was a lot of litter. She said that beach cleaning is also good for the environment.
Tezan Brookes noted that somebody has to clean the beaches and if it is not done they would remain untidy which could cause a decline in tourism. He noted that this was important because tourism is the chief income earner of the Federation.
~~Adz:Right~~Xavier Greaux said that the morning on the beach was fun particularly since it was with friends. However he saw a lot of trash and realized how things get left behind making the island dirty and this was not good because St. Kitts depends on tourism.
The young people collected different categories of debris ranging from plastic bottles to paper. The students also explained how they became involved with the activity.
Kerise Williams said that she had a geography School Based Assessment (SBA) to prepare on coastal pollution and she assumed that assisting with the beach cleaning would help her to figure out what type of garbage is found on the coast.
This group of students was accompanied by Basseterre High School Teacher Tressa Willette who elaborated on how the students came to be part of the clean up activity. She said that the students were mostly from her geography class but had volunteered to attend the session. She noted that there were also those who were using the experience to assist with their SBAs.
~~Adz:Left~~Ms. Willette explained that she had to tally various numbers and category of debris before departing the beach with her students. These, she said included things like plastic bags, forks, and miscellaneous items. The Basseterre High School teacher said she was pleased to have the young people learn outside of the classroom setting.
She added that it was a hands-on event that showed them the importance of keeping their environment clean. She stressed that they themselves use the beach and hopefully it would teach healthy habits.
Xavier Greaux advised beach goers, particularly those who attend the beach often, to remember to leave with their trash and if there is garbage at the chosen picnic site to remove that as well.
~~Adz:Right~~The coastal clean up is an annual activity that St. Kitts and Nevis has taken part in for at least the last 10 years. This is according to the Department of Environment's Senior Environmental Officer Mr. Randolph Edmeade.
