Students encouraged to be advocates for environment

By Jenique Belgrave

Thoughtless Barbadians are hurting the marine ecosystem and Minister of the Environment and National Beautification Adrian Forde is encouraging the youth to take action against it.

Speaking to fifth-form students of the Grantley Adams Secondary School on Monday morning at the Atlantis Submarines, he highlighted the harmful impact of littering on ocean life, especially when fish populations which eventually end up on our dinner plates consume microplastics.

The minister encouraged the young people to be active participants in making a change against the heavy use of plastics and illegal dumping.

Minister Adrian Forde interacting with students Sundreal Halley, Major Andrew Skeete – Principal, Pearlita Providence and Sherida Roach.

“You can be a champion as it relates to protecting the ocean. You can be a true player by opening your mouth and saying to persons who are doing these things that this is not the right way and you must be part of an anti-littering campaign in Barbados. There is a place for garbage and it is not in our oceans. It is not in our gullies or our backyards, which will end up in the oceans eventually when the rain falls.

Major Andrew Skeete Principal and Shane Jones Science teacher.

“You must be able to be part of sensitising Barbadians, using your own social media platforms and by word-of-mouth,” he said.

To mark World Environment Day, the minister, government officials, Principal Major Andrew Skeete and several teachers accompanied the group of 46 students on an Atlantis Submarines trip 140 feet below the surface, as part of a ‘living classroom’ initiative to raise awareness about plastic pollution of the marine environment.

General Manager of Atlantis Submarines Roseanne Myers spoke on the importance of reducing the use of plastics.

Also challenging the students to reduce the use of plastics at home and school, General Manager of the submarine Roseanne Myers displayed a PVC “tree” to be used to establish a coral nursery, in a collaborative effort between the ministry, the school and the company.

She also presented the school with several fruit trees to be planted on its St Joseph campus as part of the National Tree Planting Initiative. 

jeniquebelgrave@barbadostoday.bb