| Broadreach Making a Difference on Statia | |||||
| Broadreach participant's embarked on some important and meaningful service work on Statia this summer. Read more about it on the Statia Marine Park's website at http://www.statiapark.org/news/index.html#broadreach2007 . In case the link doesn't work, the article reads: STENAPA, and Broadreach clean Atlantic Beaches. On the 30th of June, STENAPA, BroadReach and the general public joined together in a collaborative effort to clean up some of Statia’s beaches. Zeelandia, along with Turtle Beach, was made cleaner of plastic, paper, Styrofoam, diapers, and washed-up tyres by Saturday night. The motive was to offer a cleaner beach for both residents as well as nesting sea turtles to enjoy. Zeelandia Beach is the primary nesting beach where critically endangered marine turtles come to nest. Leatherback, Green and Hawksbill turtles have been seen nesting on Zeelandia. Cleaner beaches provide nesting females and hatchlings with a better chance of survival. Garbage left in the sea or on the beach can obstruct nesting grounds and trap emerging hatchlings. Plastics are also a threat as they look like the leatherback’s favorite food: jellyfish. Over half of the sea turtles found dead have plastics lined in their intestines. Over 30 people worked vigorously on Saturday afternoon for almost two hours to make the Atlantic beaches a nicer place. In total over three truckloads were hauled away including a broken buoy and several tires. In addition to STENAPA staff, interns and volunteers, over twenty BroadReach members participated in the beach cleanup and three members of the public, including a four month-old baby. Later this month, BroadReach groups will also be helping to improve Couchar Mountain trail and to clear Corallita from the Quill entrance trail and from the Botanical Garden. The BroadReach group is comprised of mostly US teenagers, ages 13-18, that sail around the Caribbean and offer summer adventures for teenagers, including scuba, sailing, marine biology, academic and wilderness programs that span the globe. Furthermore, the BroadReach group provides opportunities for these teenagers to learn new skills while providing a valuable community services such as beach cleanups, trail building, road clearing and neighborhood cleanup beautification projects. Foundations interested in having BroadReach students to help on a project this month should contact the National Park visitors centre with details. Further information about future beach cleanups or other upcoming activities of the St Eustatius Sea Turtle Conservation and Monitoring Program are available at the visitors centre in Gallows Bay (tel 318 2884). |
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