SLNT Hosts Youth Environment Forum on Marine Environment

The Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT) commenced a five day summer programme at the Vieux Fort Primary School focusing on the Marine Environment under the theme ‘Healthy Oceans-Healthy People’. Forty young people between the ages of 9 to 17 will be involved in activities which will help them better appreciate how the quality of the marine ecosystem, particularly within the Pointe Sable Environmental Protection Area (PSEPA), affects the quality of our way of life – including our diet, livelihood, recreation, education and our culture. The 5 day summer programme, which commenced on Monday, July 27th will have students involved in snorkeling trips to Scorpion Island, identifying different types of marine life (flora and fauna); learning about turtles, coral reefs and mangroves. Participants will also be engaged in craft making and drama, in keeping with this year’s theme.

The activity is organized to support education and outreach in a wider capacity building initiative for marine protected areas management in the OECS, administered by the UNEP-CEP Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) Program and its Regional Activity Center (SPAW-RAC), and the Caribbean Marine Protected Areas Management Network (CaMPAM). The initiative falls under the project ‘Climate Resilient Eastern Caribbean Marine Managed Areas Network (ECMMAN)’ led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB).

The Trust is indeed thankful to Consolidated Foods Limited, Sandals Foundation and East Caribbean Financial Holding Limited (ECFH) for their benevolent contributions.