Antigua and Barbuda’s beaches and coastline will receive some extra attention, when the Antigua Hotels and Tourist Association (AHTA) believing in the mantra “keep Antigua and Barbuda beautiful’ and in living up to those words, organises a team of volunteers for some early morning beach cleaning, during International Coastal Cleanup day on Saturday, September 19,
Hosted for the past five years by the Antigua Hotels and Tourist Association, the cleaning of the nation’s beaches coincides with the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, a global event that has mobilized thousands of volunteers who have collected over ten million pounds of trash in 100 countries across the world.
The event is being coordinated by AHTA representative Anthea Watkins, alongside the AHTA’s 2014-2016 tourism scholarship recipients, Andrea Jurgensen, Kesi Jones and Dorina Goodman.
Watkins’ said “Saturday’s beach clean-up will have over 100 volunteers who will clean beaches from 6 am – 9 am. Fourteen beaches have been adopted by local groups, churches, hotel employees, private and civic organizations. The beaches include: Old Runaway, Fort James, Hawksbill, SideHill, Little FFryes, Valley Church, and Darkwood just to name a few”
Public and Private sector organizations already signed up for the beach clean-up include: FLOW, Rotaract, Brydens, Rogers Media, Galley Bay Green Team, Five Island Primary School, Sandals, Kentish Pentecostal Church, Go Green Group, Gospel Light Ministry Villa Baptist Church, JCI Antigua, EAG, and the AHTA partnering with the Ministry of Tourism and the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority.
According to Neil Forrester, General Manager of the Antigua Hotels and Tourist Association, “keeping our environment clean is important not only to ensure the protection of wildlife but also for our economy and our health.” Forrester further added, “the cleanliness of our environment is essential, to the success of the sector. The beach is just the beginning and tourists visit our lovely shores to enjoy our pristine beaches.”
Watkins said, “We would like to see more persons adopting a beach and are inviting groups and companies to come out and support the coastal clean-up and help keep Antigua & Barbuda’s coastline and beaches debris free.”
To register for the coastal clean-up or for additional information, please contact:coastalcleanup268@gmail.com or 462-4928.
The clean-up event has been made possible with the assistance of the National Solid Waste Management Authority in removing the collected debris, and private donors, Anjo Wholesale & Epicurean for donating bottled water, garbage bags and plastic gloves.
