The Environment Cadet Programme has begun again and this year is even more exciting than the last! This year schools will be involved in a number of projects. These projects fall under the broad headings of Energy Conservation, Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Sustainable Living. Each school is required to choose one project from each category and work on that project during the school’s term. At the end of each month, schools must submit artwork, poems, articles, stories, pictures, poems and so on, which gives the general public information on what they have been doing. This will then be put into a newsletter which will be distributed to the general public.

Service organisations and youth groups are also invited to be a part of this environmental movement. Click on the attachments below for the cadet programme information.

EcoZone Summer Camp 2011 is just around the corner! EcoZone Summer Camp will run from the 4th to 29th July. This year’s activities include Home Economics, Drama and Singing, Arts and Craft, Gardening, and a lot of field trips. Some of the field trips that campers will go on include bird watching, beach picnics, Antigua Rainforest Canopy Tour, and so on.

The camp is geared towards ages 5-11. Activities begin at 7:30 daily and end at 4:30 p.m. The venue is still to be determined.

This year some of our proud sponsors are:

- the Sustainable Island Resource Management Mechanism (SIRMM)

- Harney Motors and Local Oil Ltd

- West Indies Oil Company (WIOC)

For more information about the camp see the attached brochure!

Registration closes on June 17th.

EcoZone Summer Camp brochure

ecozone registration form

Watch the following video and post your thoughts and comments.

This is a not-for-profit film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The film seeks to bring awareness to environmental issues by providing background on how planet earth developed into what it is now. It is an interesting film which highlights the interconnectedness of all things on earth. Enjoy!

Here is an interesting video on ocean acidification and the effects on marine life. Take some time to watch it, and if you have any comments, please feel free to do so.

The Environment Division Education Unit, in close collaboration with the Antigua and Barbuda Waste Recycling Company, embarked upon an ambitious project of waste recycling in the 2009-2010 school year. Environment Education Officer Arica Hill stated that the project entailed encouraging all of the schools that are a part of the Environment Cadet program to bring in recyclables throughout the year. Hill said that at the end of the school year, in July, the schools that were able to collect the most recyclables would receive a considerable prize.

So far the cadets have collected a total of 6,897 pounds of recyclables. Golden Grove Primary School is presently the most enthusiastic Primary school having collected 837 pounds in three months; while the Antigua State College outranks the other schools in its division (secondary and tertiary institutions) after collecting 445 pounds.

Hill states that she wishes to encourage all the schools to continue to recycle within the coming terms and to look forward to incentives throughout the year.

ABWREC manager, Carol-Faye George, has stated that the facility in Coolidge is able to recycle even more materials. These materials are: plastic bottles (PET & HDPE/1&2), aluminium cans, steel tins, vehicular batteries, UPS batteries, PVC cuttings, galvanize cuttings, scrap metals and toner cartridges. Schools are encouraged to bring in any of these materials, particularly the steel tins which are easily accessible.

Cadets at Body Ponds

Arbour Day was a significant success this year. Over 500 Environment Cadets, along with their teachers, planted 1,200 trees in the Body Ponds Watershed.

The Body Ponds Watershed is an important resource providing food for humans and animals. It is the largest watershed in Antigua.

Trees were planted at Body Ponds this year in commemoration of Arbour Day in order to eradicate the invasive lemon grass which covers a large area of the watershed. Shady trees will cause the lemon grass to be stifled and eventually die.

Planting trees at the Body Ponds is a very important exercise. Any persons interested in taking part in this activity can contact the Forestry Division or the Environment Division.

See pictures below!

Message from the Environment Education Officer
Hi Environment Cadets, Teachers and environmental enthusiasts! Welcome to this exciting website that was designed for you and is about you! Take the time to read the articles and make comments. Expand your mind through the quizzes and puzzles. Keep track of all Environment Cadet events and competitions. Enjoy all that this site has to offer!

Arica Hill
Environment Education Officer