Over 50 volunteers converged at Oistins Beach last Saturday armed with gloves, rakes, garbage bags and other tools to remove trash and debris during a major beach cleanup.
The effort was a collaborative initiative led by the Sandals Foundation and interCaribbean Airways, joined by the University of the West Indies (UW) Cave Hill and the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI). The exercise aimed to commemorate International Coastal Cleanup Day while making a significant effort to protect coastal ecosystems and help preserve the island’s national beauty and marine environment.
Sandals Barbados Public Relations Manager David Hinds told Barbados TODAY that despite the passing of Tropical Storm Beryl three months ago, he was pleased to see that the beach was still in fairly good condition, with less plastic pollution this year.
“It’s in a much better place, just sargassum and a few broken corals,” he said.
Hinds noted that the day’s activities aligned with Sandals Foundation’s environmental push as well as the many other activities it carried out throughout the year to enhance the island’s beauty: “This [initiative] is part of the foundation’s three pillars — education, environment and the community.”
His colleague, Channal Holder, who is the Environment, Health and Safety Manager, said that even though the resort had its own cleanup activities that day, staff came out for the wider initiative and she was pleased with the response. She encouraged Barbadians to join the efforts next year.
Graham Clarke, BTMI’s director, Caribbean, was enthusiastic about participating in the initiative. He explained that BTMI’s Tourism Week will culminate with the agency’s own cleanup efforts this week, stressing that it was important for all entities to come together to keep the environment clean.
Across the Caribbean, the Sandals Foundation has mobilised team members in all nine islands in which it operates, implementing coastal cleanup activities in Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Barbados, The Bahamas, Grenada, Curacao, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Antigua and Barbuda. (CJ)
These two volunteers teamed up to clean a section of the beach.
Environment, Health and Safety Manager at Sandals Barbados, Channal Holder, addressing the volunteers at the cleanup. At right is Sandals Barbados Public Relations Manager David Hinds.
Despite the scorching temperatures, volunteers were smiling as they spent their Saturday morning on a worthwhile cause.
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