Volunteers Cleaned Beaches in Discovery Bay

Representatives of public and private sector entities came together in the spirit of volunteerism to carry out beach cleaning in Discovery Bay, St. Ann on Saturday (September 17).

The International Coastal Clean-up Day (ICCD) activity saw scores of persons clearing garbage from the Red Cross Beach, including the adjoining fisherman’s beach and Scenic View.

The volunteers came out early and by the end of the day, they had removed several pounds of waste, including plastic bottles and bags, and Styrofoam containers.

The day’s coastal cleanup activities in the town were organised by the St. Ann Hi-Tech Farmer’s Group and the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA), to raise awareness about the importance of keeping the environment clean.

Also lending support were representatives from Marcus Garvey Technical High School, Jamaica Defence Force, Bahia Principe hotel, Jamaica Red Cross, Brown’s Town Community College, Discovery Bay Community Development Committee and Brown’s Town Community Development Committee, among others.

Representative of the Brown’s Town Chapter of the JCSA, Carol Clarke, who spoke to JIS News at Red Cross Beach, said it is important that the beaches and the surrounding environment are protected for future generations to enjoy.

“So, I’m imploring all of you out there who are dumping the garbage, please don’t do it because we are polluting,” she noted.

Teacher at Marcus Garvey Technical High School, Jody-Ann Cornwall, who led a team of students in cleaning the Red Cross Beach, said it was important for them to come out and play their part in safeguarding the environment.

“We are here teaching our students that our environment is important, and we need a clean environment in order for us to survive as humans on this earth,” she noted

“The cleaner the environment, the longer we as humans and our environment survive,” she stressed.

For his part, Director of Internal Organization and Corporate Social Responsibility at Bahia Principe Resort, Fabian Brown, told JIS News that just over 20 team members were dispatched between the Red Cross Beach and the fisherman’s beach.

“We are fully on board with the sustainability process in tourism and a major part of [that] is respecting and protecting our environment,” he said.