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"A little child shall lead them."
This was the idea behind the Environmental Protection Department’s (EPD) Prevent Marine Litter poster competition.The competition was open to children eight to 11-years old and its aim was to encourage persons of all ages to adopt sound environmental practices and stop illegal disposal of waste.
Of the many entries that were submitted, Kodi Husbands of Milton Lynch Primary School was awarded first place. His prize included $1000 towards a saving fund at the Barbados Public Workers Co-operative Credit Union.
Second place went to Christina Morris of Hillaby-Turners Primary, while Rhesa Boxil of St Luke’s Brighton Primary placed third. They received $800 and $500 respectively, to go towards savings accounts.
Director of the EPD, Jeffrey Headley, stated that by involving children from a young age, good environmental practices would be instilled in them for the rest of their lives. "We want to get the young ones excited about keeping the beaches clean, so they can encourage their parents to do the right thing as well. Sometimes, we as adults get so caught up with our busy lives that we need little reminders," Mr. Headley observed.??
Before the awards ceremony, which was held at Farley Hill National Park, the competition winners joined approximately 50 others at the EPD’s annual beach cleanup of Morgan Lewis Beach, St. Andrew. A whopping 701.5 pounds of litter was collected, which consisted mainly of cups, bottles, plates, shoes, clothes and other trash from shoreline and recreational activities.