Sandy Point High cleans up local beach

By Melissa Bryant
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

~~Adz:Right~~ BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – DIEPPE BAY BEACH is now practically flawless...thanks to the students and teachers of Sandy Point High School who dedicated their Friday (Nov. 7) morning to clean-up and tidying efforts.

The initiative was organised by the school’s department of geography and social studies, due to the Ministry of Environment’s decision to cancel the annual National Beach Clean-up Day this year.

Over 150 students from Forms Three to Five and teachers from the department volunteered for the project and collected over 100 jumbo TDC garbage bags of litter.

According to Geography and Social Studies Department Head Walwyn Wyatt, the aim of the clean-up was “to preserve and keep a healthy environment”.

“We depend on our beaches for our fishing and tourism industries. Pollution is a serious problem on many beaches and we must take the appropriate measures to keep them clean and to ensure that our coral reefs survive,” he explained.

Wyatt noted that the majority of the garbage collected was a result of the flooding caused by Hurricane Omar, but was quick to point out that people should not dump their refuse into the sea.

“Indiscriminate littering is a big problem, especially on beaches. When people have their picnics and fun days and whatnot they need to take their garbage back with them, because careless littering damages the environment,” he said.

The clean-up marks the second such campaign within the past three weeks, as the Ministry of Tourism beautified Cockleshell Beach on November 23 as part of their annual Tourism Awareness Month activities.