Volunteers Cleaned Beaches in St. Ann and Trelawny

More than 203 bags of garbage, each weighing approximately 15 pounds, were collected across multiple beaches in St. Ann and Trelawny during the observance of International Coastal Cleanup Day 2025, on September 20.

The cleanup, spearheaded by the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA) in partnership with the St. Ann Hi-Tech Farmers Group Ltd, targeted the Red Cross Peach Beach, Scenic View Beach, and Discovery Bay Fisherman’s Beach in St. Ann, as well as Braco Beach in Trelawny, which is owned by the JCSA.

The initiative brought together over 198 public servants, community members, schools, private sector partners and volunteers to protect the environment.

Jamaica Civil Service Association President, Techa Clarke-Griffiths, told JIS News that the cleanup is a critical part of the association’s corporate social responsibility and chapter projects.

“When we came this morning, we saw a lot of participants here. Clearly, it means a lot to persons, especially those that are environmentally friendly and to us too [who] recognise that the importance to participate,” Mrs. Clarke-Griffiths said.

She stated that although many people take environmental protection for granted, the association members will continue to be an advocate for the environment, as well as climate change.

“Who else to clean our own facilities than our own members and partners,” Mrs. Clarke-Griffiths said.

Participants and sponsors included First Heritage Credit Union, Bahia Principe hotel as a major annual sponsor, the Jamaica Red Cross, and numerous community members.

Other participating organizations included the Social Development Commission (SDC), Community Development Committee (CDC) branches from Brown’s Town and Discovery Bay, Fern Court High School, Brown’s Town Community College, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining and the National Environment and Planning Agency, among others.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Brown’s Town Chapter of the JCSA, Carol Clarke, urged Jamaicans to take greater responsibility for how they dispose of their wastes.

She pointed out that plastic bottles and other items, continue to be collected in large numbers, despite disposal bins being available on the beaches.

“Each year we come, and we try to educate and as you can see, the bins are all over the place, but [the public] don’t pay them no mind. We need to focus as a country and see that the environment is there to protect us,” Ms. Clarke said.

“We have to protect the environment for it to in return protect us. So, we need to ensure that we package our waste and dispose of it properly so that the coastline can be clean,” she added.

The St. Ann Branch Director for the Jamaica Red Cross, Karen Brown, also noted the importance of caring for the environment.

She indicated that a significant amount of waste, including numerous plastic bottles and metal containers, had been collected, with at least 40 bags being removed from Red Cross Beach alone.

Nonetheless, she commended the work of the volunteers and stated that the Jamaica Red Cross intends to continue its advocacy and cleanup efforts beyond the day.

“We feel that it is very important that we take care of the environment, and as a branch, we participate in keeping our environment clean,” Ms. Brown stated.