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.

Registration closes on June 17th.

World Habitat Day is usually recognized during 3rd to 6th October. It varies depending on areas of the world, for example in some parts of Africa it is observed on 6th October, in Mexico it is 5th October while some celebrate it either on the first Friday or Monday of October. This year in Antigua & Barbuda it was recognized on Friday 3rd and rather than focusing cities, slums or poverty like countries such as Angola and Mexico, we focused on the coastal habitat/ecosystem since our country do not fall into this category of poverty.

Carol-Faye George, Environment Education Officer and Cedric Dyer, Environment Officer conducted a tour and information of the Dredge beach and mangrove swamp prior to the field trip and were amazed at its condition. Their investigation found it to be in an impeccable condition despite the consistency of pollution that is emitted in this ecosystem. Physical conditions such as the production of sea grass, the quantity of sea shells, the amount and quality of sand, the vegetation found on the sand dune, the clarity of the water and other biodiversity found there were unbelievable especially since this area over the years has been plagued with a stigma and with pollution ranging from molasses byproduct, municipal waste and sewage.

The Environment Division will be hosting its first EcoZone Summer Camp for children of grades 1-9 or ages 7 to 14 years old who are interested in lots of outdoor activities while informally learning about their environment. This camp will be located at the Antigua Girls High School from July 16th to August 17th 2007. The EcoZone Camp will be opened from Mondays to Fridays (public holidays excluded) commencing from 7:30 to 5:00 p.m. daily.

Unfortunately there is limited space available and this camp will accommodate only 150 children. More information is available at your child’s school or at the Environment Division’s office located at #1 Prime Minister’s Drive or telephone #460-7278.

The Environment Cadet Programme was developed by the Environment Education Officer, Carol-Faye George in September of 2004.  This programme was piloted in the Ottos Comprehensive School and there are at least two hundred cadets in each of the four secondary schools that accommodate the programme.  These schools are Ottos Comprehensive, the Antigua Girls High School, the Antigua Grammar School and the Clare Hall Secondary.  

In 2005, the Environment Division with the assistance of some of our international development partners launched the most innovative and dynamic public awareness campaign ever seen in Antigua and Barbuda. Although the Division had long been very active in promoting environmental and sustainable development awareness in Antigua and Barbuda through many of its program, the newest and most daring of their promotion activities remains in a class all by itself.

Eco-Zone was launched in January 2005 under the motto “Experience Your Environment”. This simple credo has been the steadfast focus of the student’s game show. Utilizing some of the Environmental Cadets from three of the schools currently involved in the Environmental cadet program Antigua Girls High School, Antigua Grammar School and Ottos Comprehensive Secondary School. The show has continued to gain tremendous support not only from school goers of various ages but also the wider public of Antigua and Barbuda and even further a field in St. Lucia (where episodes are broadcast each week on Government Information station (GIS).  Interest in the show has also been communicated from St. Vincent, Nevis, Grenada, Dominica and St. Kitts