International Beach Clean up 2010
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TIDE through its Education and Outreach, continue to Lead Community Participation in Conservation. TIDE in collaboration with Project Aware implemented a Beach/Shoreline cleanup in Toledo, Belize. Various local institutions, such as Primary, secondary and University schools and other Conservation NGO’s, community interest groups were involved. The activity took place on September 16th, from 8:30am to 11:00am). A second schedule is being plan for Saturday September 18th for other groups that could not have participated on the 16th. This is an event that TIDE participates in each year. On the one day of September 16, 2010 we picked up a total of 96 bags of garbage.
The objective of the Beach Cleanup is to increase public participation in contributing to solving the problem of pollution and at the same time increase public awareness and appreciation of the coastal environment. “At least 6 million tones of debris enter the world’s oceans each year, causing harm to underwater environments and wildlife. Just by giving a small amount of effort, and time, we can help remove debris from the beaches, raise awareness and drive positive change.
As small as Belize may be, it’s amazing to be a part of a worldwide effort. Each International Coastal Cleanup participant is changing the world, one piece of litter at a time. The easy answer is that it’s nice to have a clean beach. But more importantly, we record the trash we find for the Ocean Conservancy, and they’re able to look for changes in trends. On a day to day basis, People don’t realize the impact of their actions. Many people don’t realize how many everyday things they do, pollute the ocean. Wild animals get tangled up in debris. Someone has to care and do the work or we’ll be up to our necks in litter. The list of strange items found each year is always fascinating.
The Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) would like to thank the following organizations who had made a special effort in participating in this great event; Forest Home Methodist School, Little Flower RC School, Bethel Adventist School, St. Benedict School, Punta Gorda Methodist school, St. Peter Claver school, University of Belize , Toledo Branch, Tour Guide Association(TTGA), Sustainable Harvest International (SHI), Belize Defence Force (BDF), Jacinto Ville Environmental Club, and other community members.