In addition, the programme has expanded to include a manual which will be available in November for all participating schools.

Look forward to the Environment Cadet Teachers’ Training Workshop on November 10th 2011.

The Environment Division, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is therefore launching a collage competition within the schools, for children 12 to 18 years who are a part of a class, organisation or club, in order to bring awareness to this pressing issue. The theme “A Future that is Pollution Free – Join Hands to Protect our Caribbean Sea”, focuses on our beautiful Caribbean Sea, and how we can protect its fragile, vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems from land-based sources of pollution.

UNEP-CEP therefore invites competition participants to use the medium of the collage to illustrate the importance of preventing the pollution of the Caribbean Sea from land-based sources and activities and taking concrete actions such as:

-          Disposing of garbage properly and not in rivers, drains or beaches;

-          Participating in beach clean-ups and picking up litter at the seashore;

-          Promoting reusing and reducing the use of disposable plastic bags and bottles;

-          Reducing the use of toxic pesticides and improving fertilizer management;

-          Planting a tree, a shrub or a flowering plant, to stabilise the soil and reduce the risk of erosion.

The competition runs for approximately four months, starting on February 2 (World Wetlands Day) until May 22 (International Day of Biological Diversity). The details of the competition are available on the Environment Division’s website www.environmentdivision.info/blog or on UNEP’s website www.cep.unep.org.

“We firmly hope that this competition will bring of the necessary awareness about issues relating to pollution and littering. In the past we have found that speaking to children has been effective, and their activism has resulted in the adoption of beaches, planting of gardens and the reduction of recyclables at the landfill. Perhaps this particular activity will also encourage others to actively become a part of the solution to pollutants ending up in our seas”, stated Acting Senior Environment Officer, Ruleta Camacho.

Ecosystems brochure

Ecosystems 2

Each form must be accompanied by a 500 word (typed) essay stating how the internship will be beneficial and why the applicant is deserving of this opportunity, and a reference letter from the Principal of the school. All applications must be submitted by May 22nd, 2011 to the Environment Division.

Application Form for an Environmental Internship

The seminar will take the form of two sessions. In the first session cadets will listen to presentations by persons who are working in environmental fields such as architecture, tourism, agriculture, and so on. Cadets will have the opportunity to speak to these professionals one on one in the second session. In this session, they can ask questions and get real insight into the jobs that these individuals are engaged in.

The Division therefore invites all Secondary Schools that are presently registered with the Environment Cadet Programme to be a part of this exciting seminar. An invitation is also extended to Primary School teachers who are a part of the Environment Cadet Programme.

Date: Friday 21 January 2011

Venue: Multipurpose Cultural Centre

Time: 9 a.m to 12 noon

Bring an open mind!

(Please note that refreshment will not be provided)

Mangroves are very important in the coastal zone. They help protect shorelines from damaging storm and hurricane winds, waves, and floods. With their tangled root systems they filter pollutants and trap sediments originating from land. In this way they maintain water quality and clarity at the same time preventing erosion. This ecosystem is also valuable as an important nursery area for shrimp and other crustaceans, mollusks, and fishes. In addition to providing a rich source of food, they also offer refuge from predators. Birds make homes in their canopy, shellfish attach themselves to the roots and crabs use the area as a hunting ground.

There are four species of mangroves found in Antigua, namely; red, black, white and buttonwood. The red mangrove is the species found closest to the seawater. It is the most tolerant of the saline conditions and is very easily identified by the large prop roots that stick out of the water. Next is the black mangrove that is found directly landward of the Red mangrove. This species is easily identified by the presence of many specialized roots (pneumatophores). These structures resemble thin straws stuck in the soil. The white mangrove is found landward of the black mangrove. There are two salt glands at the base of every leaf which excrete large amounts of salt. The fourth is the buttonwood. It is not very tolerant of salt and lacks specialized roots. However, this tree is tolerant of the low nutrient soils near the shoreline.

People in different parts of the world use mangrove trees for a variety of purposes. For example, they take advantage of the durable, water-resistant properties of the wood to build houses, boats, pilings and furniture. The black mangrove and buttonwood trees are frequently utilized in the production of charcoal. Tannins and dyes are extracted from the bark while the leaves are used in tea, medicine, a substitute for tobacco and as livestock feed. Beekeepers are also known to set up their hives close to the mangrove forests in order to use their nectar in honey production.

More interestingly, there is a very important link between mangroves and global warming. People are becoming increasingly interested in climate change and its effect on the world’s population. Some scientists believe that mangroves are our saviors. We all know that most of the coastal areas throughout the world are going to be affected by sea level rise. This in turn will deplete our freshwater reserves and cause more land areas to be submerged by sea waters. Mangroves can possibly provide a gene bank for cultivating salt tolerant species of crops which could be our future resource.

We can all agree that mangroves are very important to our society. They should NOT under any circumstance be cleared by cutting or backfilling. We should manage our natural resources in a sustainable manner so that future generations can also benefit from them.

Have you ever felt like you really wanted to do something for the environment but you didn’t know what? Or, like everything that people were saying about the environment was interesting but you didn’t know exactly how it related to you or even what it really meant? Or maybe you just feel frustrated that the world is changing and you have no idea how to make a difference.

That’s how I feel. I hear what the environmentalists are saying, but quite honestly, I don’t quite get it! And I really want to do something about it! I do! I just don’t know what or how.

And that’s when I realised that there are probably hundreds, maybe thousands, of people out there who want to help our small island through proper environmental practices, but the truth is that they are just as clueless as I am.

So I decided to take action. Each time I hear something about the environment I am going to tell you about it in a way that you can understand it. And together we’ll start our journey towards making a real difference.

What’s my name? You can call me Clueless. Clueless Environmentalist, that is.

Lesson 1 – Wetlands

I was chatting away the other day with someone who is, what I would call, an Environmentalist. I was really trying to impress him with my ‘knowhow’, so I mentioned that the Body Ponds area is SUCH an important wetland in Antigua and went on and on about how he could incorporate that wetland into one of his projects.

Then there was silence. I think I heard crickets.

He then looked at me and informed me that the Body Ponds area is not a wetland, it’s a part of a watershed. Apparently a watershed is an area that allows water to drain into a larger body of water, like the sea

And that’s when I got confused. If it’s land and it’s wet, isn’t it a wetland?? Obviously it was time to do some research!

I went online and found that a wetland is land or areas that are often covered with shallow water or have soil that is saturated with moisture. One of the unique features of a wetland is the plants that live there. The plants are called hydrophytes, which is really a big word for saying that it can live in water and adapt to it. Examples of wetlands are marshes, bogs, and mangrove swamps.

And that got me thinking! Mangrove eh?  But, what does a mangrove swamp REALLY do? All I can imagine when I think of a mangrove swamp is stinky smells and insects! What’s so great about that?

So again, I did some research. I soon discovered that mangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in saline (brackish) coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics, and are important as a habitat for many animals and assist with coastal land building.

So it would appear that the wetland type called a mangrove swamp serves an important function. But I was not quite sure if that was the only function, so I called up the professionals… I spoke with the Fisheries Division.

There I found out that mangrove systems protect the island from disaster. When there are storm surges the mangroves act as a barrier and therefore reduce the impact of possibly harmful waves. When it rains, soil flows down towards the water and the mangrove acts as the first filter.  These mangrove systems also assist with the process of purifying the water so that only clear water goes out to the coral reefs. This is important because if the coral reefs were covered by silt they would suffocate and eventually die

Mangroves also serve an important function for the Fisheries of Antigua since fish go there to have their babies, or to spawn. The fish that eventually mature in the mangroves eventually leave that safe haven and swim in the open seas where our fishermen catch them. Without the mangroves our fishermen would be unable to provide us with the fish that we enjoy.

Antigua and Barbuda has four species of mangroves: Red, Black, White and Button Mangroves.

Mangroves can be found all around Antigua’s inlets, however some mangrove woodlands can be found in Parham Harbour, Fitches Creek and Guiana Island. Barbuda’s most significant mangrove can be found surrounding the Codrington Lagoon, and is the Frigate bird Sanctuary

So, that mosquito infested area is important! Without it, our lives and livelihoods would be in serious danger.

Ok! So now we have an idea of what a wetland is as well as an example of a wetland, the mangrove swamp.  Now, the question is, what can we do to protect them.

1. Practice proper solid waste disposal. If we use the swamps as a dumping site it can eventually affect the health of the fish that live there. Consider that these are the same fishes that we eat; if they are unhealthy then so are we.
2. Do not cut down mangroves not even to make fishing nets.
3. Respect the wetland and its functions the next time that you pass near to one.
4. If you live next to a mangrove, or in the general area, you can start a campaign against its destruction

That’s it! Being environmentally friendly and conscious is easy! You’d be surprised how you can help that land that is wet.

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.