TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASE
16 September 2014
DEMA hosts International Coastal Clean-up Day: “Fighting for trash-free seas”
Everyone who lives in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) is invited to take part in the International Coastal Clean-up hosted by Department of Environmental and Maritime Affairs (DEMA) this Saturday, 20 September 2014.
This initiative will encourage people across TCI to remove shoreline litter to help create cleaner waters for everyone, including the wildlife and communities that depend on them.
Schools and organisations can get involved by getting a group together and spending sometime of your day cleaning up a beach, bush, path, road or sea-bed in your local area.
If you do not have a group but wish to participate, please contact Amy Avenant to find out about groups you may join and be put in contact with the District Commissioner in your island. Please forward this invitation on to anyone you think may be interested in participating.
WHAT TO DO NOW:
Register your commitment in taking part with Amy Avenant, DEMA Environmental Outreach Co-ordinator Avenant.amy@gmail.com or 649 341 4321.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
Co-ordinate an underwater / beach / bush clean-up in your chosen area.
WHEN:
8:00am, Saturday 20 September 2014 (to beat the heat!)
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
· Gloves
· Water (make sure everyone remains properly hydrated – BUT we would like to encourage the use of re-usable water bottles, not single-use water bottles)
· Trash Bags
· You may want to keep a first aid kit handy in the event of cuts or scrapes
WHAT TO DO ON THE DAY (and a few days before):
· Arrange for proper disposal of the collected trash
· Submit the following information to DEMA:
o Organisation name
o Number of clean-up participants
o Location of trash collection (and whether it was underwater/beach/bush)
o Number of bags collected
o Amount of time spent collecting trash
o Photographs of you / your organisation and the trash collected.
Please help us in the fight for trash-free seas! Together we can all make a difference!
ENDS
