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Winners in the 2012 FCCA Children’s Environmental Poster Competition, from left: Tymara King, Queen’s College (2nd place, Senior Division, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, NULL, NULL, 0); Janae Clarke, Hillaby Turner’s Hall Primary (2nd place, Junior Division, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, NULL, NULL, 0); Chaquon Griffith, Charles F. Broome Primary, (1st place, Junior Division, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, NULL, NULL, 0); Brenden Gonsalves, Queens College (1st place, Senior Division, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, NULL, NULL, 0); and Annice Thompson, St. Luke’s Brighton Primary (3rd place, Junior Division). (G.Brewster/BGIS)??

Today was a red-letter one for Chaquon Griffith of Charles F. Broome Primary and Brenden Gonsalves of Queen’s College, when they were announced as winners of the 2012 Florida Caribbean Cruise Association’s (FCCA) Children’s Environmental Poster Competition.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, which was held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Shelley Carrington, congratulated all the participants for their "worthwhile contribution".?? She observed that

??"Tourism and the environment have a very complex and interdependent relationship.?? At the same time, it is the environmental quality of the destination that, to a large measure, determines the success of the tourism industry."??

Ms. Carrington noted that stakeholders in the sector understood that they had a pivotal role to play in preserving the environment.?? She added that the success of the tourism industry was dependent on the care and conservation of the natural environment, and offered examples of some of the initiatives the Ministry had undertaken to highlight this link.??

These included the popular sundown beach walks, which are executed in collaboration with the Coastal Zone Management Unit; and Tourism in the Gully, which combined hikes with various art forms such as poetry, music and drama.????

The private sector contributors to the industry were also making a mark, the Permanent Secretary observed, as some tourism businesses now featured ???green initiatives’, such as instituting recycling programmes to reduce waste and employing their own sewage treatment plants, which they use to produce grey water to meet their irrigation needs.

These and other environmental themes were captured in this year’s 39 submissions – 21 in the Junior Division, and 18 in the Senior Division, from 13 schools.?? Tourism Development Officer, Sharon Trotman, revealed that both the quantity and quality of entries had significantly improved this year.

First runner up in the Junior Division was Janae Clarke of Hillaby Turner’s Hall Primary, while Annice Thompson of St. Luke’s Brighton placed third. Tymara King of Queen’s College placed second in the Senior Division, and Sara Patel of Al-Falah School placed third.

Prizes in the Junior Division were $500, $350 and $250 for first, second and third place, respectively; with $600, $450 and $350 awarded to winners in the Senior Division.?? The schools of the winning students were also given vouchers for art supplies, while the art teachers were rewarded with staycations.

nekaelia.hutchinson@barbados.gov.bb

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