The first in a series of events aimed at encouraging greater community involvement in environmental protection took place in Montserrat this weekend.
Residents and government officials gathered together on Sunday afternoon, 23 February, to take part in a two-hour clean-up at Carr’s Bay Beach.
Joining the participants at the launch of the event was Premier Reuben Meade who emphasised the importance of such green initiatives for the island.
“It may be one of the cleanest places on Earth, but for us in Montserrat our standards are a bit higher, so even though it looks clean we want it to look even cleaner,” he said.
The premier added that the government has plans to develop the area and make it more welcoming for both tourists and residents, such as building public toilets and laying paving.
Crenston Buffonge, Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Premier, also took part in the clean-up and encouraged residents to “keep Montserrat as pristine as it is”.
A sharper understanding
The Community Environmental Stewardship Initiative, running from February to May, is the second phase of the Montserrat Tourism Authority’s Community Awareness Programme.
Veta Nadine Wade, a blue economy advisor for regenerative tourism and conservation initiatives, co-designed and coordinated the initiative.
She explained that the beach clean-up was different to others in the past because it was designed to engage the community in collecting litter information through the use of surveys.
This will “sharpen their understanding on the extent of the problem and inform possible solutions”, Wade told Montserrat Focus.
She added that now is the perfect time for Montserrat to look at how blue economy education can be used to establish sustainable revenue streams, create new job opportunities and strengthen the economy.
Upcoming activities
Among the activities set to take place from February to May are hands-on workshops, field trips, community clean-ups, beautification projects and recognition of outstanding stewards.
It will conclude in May with an exhibition, community feedback sessions, and the development of future initiatives. Visitors are welcome to take part.
Planned events include:
Sunday, 2 March
- Event: Marguerita Bay clean-up and driftwood mining
- Site: Marguerita Bay
- Time: 2.30pm-4.30pm (cleanup) 4.30pm-5.30pm (finger food and lime)
Saturday, 8 March
- Event: Art workshop under the theme ‘Our Circular Economy’
- Site: Carr’s Bay
- Time: 3pm-5pm
- Refreshments will be provided
Click here to join the WhatsApp community group for regular updates on activities.
