Beachgoers are being urged to do their part in protecting the environment by properly disposing of their garbage when visiting Trinidad and Tobago’s coastlines.
The call is being made by a group of young volunteers who teamed up with the Chaguaramas Development Authority for a beach clean-up exercise at Chagville Beach on Friday.
Volunteer Jordan Belgrave of the Morvant Church of Christ group was one of the youngsters making the plea.
“When alyuh come to the beach, pick up all your garbage and such, because it is not good for the fishes and them.”
Another participant, Kilani Lashley, described the shoreline as being in a “devastating condition” when the group arrived, noting that the waste not only mars the area’s natural beauty but also poses a danger to beach users and marine life.
“We was happy to be here to clean, and we hope we could come back again and clean it again, and can all the people that come to the beach stop breaking their glass, please?”
Meanwhile, Elijah St Louis said the event helped challenge the negative perceptions often associated with the area while highlighting the positive contributions young people can make.
“Every time when you hear something about the Morvant area, it’s always something negative, always something with crime and violence. But we out here to say on behalf of Morvant that there are also positive things. We come here today to do a beach clean-up, to make the environment clean not just for us but the general public as well.”
The beach clean-up sought to promote environmental responsibility, teamwork and community engagement while giving participants the opportunity to develop life skills and gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of caring for public spaces.