The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

STUDENTS of the St Andrew’s School Eco Club are passionate about their mission to save the Bahamas’ environment.

They told The Tribune there was a need for Bahamians to take seriously the condition of their surroundings and do all they can to preserve them.

While the Eco Club has mainly been working at the school’s grounds, which led to St Andrew’s being awarded the first Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) green flag, they also have plans to venture out into the community to encourage others to take on similar initiatives.

Eco Club member and sixth grade student Halle Bowe believes that if the environment is not taken care of, those who live in it will suffer serious consequences.

Halle said: “I think it’s really important to do all these things, because the environment basically sets the tone for our lives. It has a huge impact on our lifestyle. If you have a really nasty environment it’s going to come back on us and we are then going to be breathing in bad air and seeing garbage all around the place.”

So far, the club has planted trees around the school campus, built a new pond to create a home for wild life and recycled reusable materials among other things.

Dean of Juniors Sarah-Jane Green said the main objective for club goers is to keep the Bahamas beautiful.

She said: “I think its about sustainability. So the recycling of plastic, the recycling of paper, taking your rubbish home, is what it’s about. How can we use those bottles? How can we use those plastics? The message out there is all about keeping the Bahamas pristine.”

While it is not clear how much money from donations and fund raisers it took for the school to undertake its environmental awareness activities, all involved with the Eco Club believe the benefits will go quite a long way.

St Andrew’s was recognised by BREEF during a special assembly to close out their recent Earth Day festivities.

To be awarded the first green flag in New Providence, students, staff and parents completed a series of initiatives ranging from installing more recycling and compost bins, to planting native trees and gardens on the school grounds.

Officials at the school also plan to install a solar panel to draw attention to renewable energy methods.