In these beginning few weeks of the new academic year, the Eco-Activists’ Club took part in various activities. One of the major projects we revived was the Plastic Bottles Recycling Project. The project entailed members from the club being assigned to different classes to encourage and educate the students about the importance of recycling. Bins were also placed in each class to collect plastic bottles which would be carried to the school’s storage room every week.Another project undertaken was the bird feeding project. This involved making a variety of homemade bird feeders by the club members reusing plastic bottles, cereal boxes and other materials to be put up around the school.
The Club is also currently participating in the Blue Waters 2017 Calendar Competition, where students are making models using Blue Waters plastic bottles or doing paintings showing how recycling these bottles can help enhance the environment.
The Club was also represented at the Ministry of Agriculture World Food Day Celebrations at the Caroni Bird Sanctuary on Sunday 16th October 2016 We participated by reading a poem and taking a tour of the Sanctuary.
Photo Gallery – Secondary Schools’ Display 2017
Below is a poem written by members of the Eco-Activists Club.
What Next?
When all was well, healthy and green,
Crops were natural, soil was clean.
There was a time when man was aware,
His crops were strong, of which he took care.
But such a time was far away,
For now, man engages in wanton play.
Disregarding what nature did give,
Taking not giving, only caring to live.
Nature had enough and cast her frown,
Wilting green plants to a dreary brown.
And then our farmers began to suffer,
From our own creation of calamity and clutter.
Harsh climates became more tolerable,
Prior to climate change, there were inhospitable.
Too many pests; locusts, insects, rodents,
Causing West Nile, Malaria, Zika and other illness.
Yam and cassava are affected by tiny beetles.
Cocoa affected by Witches’ Broom, Black Pod and Swollen Shot diseases.
Panama disease attacks banana and plantain.
High CO2 and greenhouse gas levels make this very grim.
Global food shortages would happen.
Food security and Agriculture would be threatened.
More microbes would thrive because of high humidity and temperature;
Fungi, Bacteria, Salmonella, Camylobacter.
Mycotoxin contamination in wheat, maize, rice – all crops cereal,
Resulting in carcinogenic effects in both human and animals.
Increase in ocean temperatures cause marine algal biotoxins.
These concentrate in our fish, shellfish and mussels for consumption.
Hurricanes moving, like Mathew and Nicole,
Weather events devasting our world.
Ozone depletion; more cases of skin cancer.
While scientists scramble to find the answer.
The climate is changing with global effects.
I am afraid to ask………… “What next?”
~ By Vrishni Maharaj and the Geography girls of Form 2R,
and the Eco Activists Club, all of Naparima Girls’ High School.
The Naparima Girls’ High School Eco-Activist’ Club continues to strive to make a difference in conserving the environment, one step at a time.
