Barbados TravelAdvisor

[oldphogey]

From the News



Published on: 12/6/2009.



A MODEST 440 POUNDS, or thereabouts, was collected from the West Coast beach yesterday morning in a cleanup campaign from Sandy Lane Hotel to Colony Club in St James.

From the outset, manager of the Folkstone Park & Marine Reserve, John Nicholls, alerted the 100-odd volunteers from The Adopt The Reserve Action Group, including members from the St James Secondary School's Environmental Club, the Combermere School's Key Club and the Sunset Crest Property Owners Association, as well as SCUBA divers, not to expect much garbage along the beach.

"The [National Conservation Commission] cleans the beaches every day; so you wouldn't find much on the beach . . . . [Even so] what needs to be considered are the amount of drains which exit or empty into the reserve.

"They're going to be bringing debris from inland with surface water run-off," he said.

Long-time jogger along the coast, Cal Francis, was surprised at the moderate amount of trash he saw.

"I usually see plastic bottles and cups people inadvertently leave behind on the beach.

"Specifically today as I was looking I was quite surprised at how clean the beach is, in this particular area [Folkstone to Colony Club]. By and large it's not as bad as I thought it would have been, so I'm quite pleased by that," he told the SUNDAY SUN.

After the cleanup Nicholls said he received favourable reports from his team members.

"Speaking to one of the divers he said there wasn't much found in the nearshore. They expected a lot more garbage out there," he stated.

One of the divers from High Tide Watersports Simron Browne gave a breakdown of the find from the Jolly Roger Barge and the Marine Reserve.

"We came across a lot of masks and snorkels; not much plastic bags and cups fortunately," he said.

"We saw a few beds behind one of the hotels which were too big to carry. I guess the next time we go out we should go with a Bobcat," said Folkstone Park naturalist and group leader Delano Ashby.
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Second article

Brighter beach



Published on: 12/6/2009.



THEY READ, SWAM, SNORKLED and sunbathed, oblivious to the garbage hidden in the nooks and crannies along the beach.

It was a typical day on the West Coast, but as several tourists relaxed on the beach in the warm sunshine, an organised group of volunteers was busy trying to make their stay that much cleaner.

The Adopt The Reserve Action Group, formed in October, yesterday morning undertook the job of cleaning up the beach along the West Coast from Sandy Lane Hotel going north to Colony Club Hotel.

On the surface the sands were fluffy white and carefully raked in parts. But it was what lay below the surface that was the target of the 100-odd crew, who came out with their gloves and garbage bags.

Why the exercise if the NCC took care of the beach's daily sprucing?

"Although the NCC cleans the beaches every day, what needs to be considered are the amount of drains which exit or empty into the reserve.

"They're going to be bringing debris from inland with surface water run-off . . . . If there has been an illegal dumping in the gullies which have water courses exiting in the reserve, you can find it getting close into the shore, depending on the type," said Folkestone Park And Marine Reserve manager John Nicholls.

Starkly obvious from the outset was the lack of beach. Although it is well known that the West Coast is prone to beach erosion, the severely receded shoreline was still shocking.

Asked why the erosion was occurring at such a rapid rate, Nicholls pointed out that it was typical of the global impact of climate change.

"There's a lot of discussion internationally and regionally with respect to climate change and global warming and the extent they have led to sea-level rise and coastal erosion.

"That may have an impact, but what we have noticed is that cyclically there is a shorter period of time [between] when you lose your beach and when your beach is renourished than in previous years. Because it is shortened, it means the beaches don't have as much time as they did in the past to be renourished," he said.

Asked how much of the erosion was man-made and whether development along the coast impacted on its rapid development, Nicholls replied, carefully:

"In Barbados all the development is approved by the Town and Country Planning department in consultation with the Coastal Zone Management Unit and you shouldn't have any development along the coast that has not met with stringent standards set by Government agencies."

There were three clean-up teams, two walking along the shore and one underwater team. Team leaders were pleasantly surprised for the most part at the modest amount of garbage they found, just over 440 pounds!

Nonetheless, a lot of plastics were recovered, one surfboard, a kayak, a tyre, a bed frame and mattress, and mostly lost diving masks and beachwear underwater.

Members of the St James Secondary School Junior Coral Reef Ambassadors and Environmental Club, the Combermere School's Key Club, and the Sunset Crest Property Owners' Association also formed part of the clean-up team.

The Adopt The Reserve Action Group is facilitated by the NCC and the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies and funded by the United Nations Development Programme. (MS)

[johnthed0g]

We always collect glass when we walk along the beach.