SINT MAARTEN (BELAIR) - In collaboration with the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten In-No Plastic Project, clients, and staff at Mental Health Foundation (MHF) Farajah Center and Admissions department conducted a thorough beach clean-up at Belair Beach on Friday July 15th, 2022, during which more than 355 pounds of trash was removed from the beach and flora area.
Clients and staff were equipped with gloves, trash tongs and reusable waste collection bags provided by Nature Foundation to collect waste. The cleanup commenced at 9:15 am and proceeded for approximately one hour.
The MHF team comprised of more than 30 individuals separated into groups, who then competed enthusiastically, despite previous threat of inclement weather, to determine a winner with the most collected trash by weight.
At the end of the cleanup, the individual groups were amalgamated into two groups, of which one produced 240.93 pounds of collected waste, and the other 114.60 for a combined total of 355.55 pounds of trash.
More than 20 sacks of waste comprised of varied items including glass bottles, articles, plastics, and other items posing a threat to the marine environment, beach and neighboring fauna and flora we piled onto a Nature Foundation truck for further separating and sorting for the In-No Plastic Project.
The project is an EU funded project to stimulate removal of marine plastics and litter. Nature Foundation representatives present during the cleanup briefed the MHF clients and staff on the positive impact they facilitated by removing marine plastics and litter from Belair Beach, noting their efforts would eliminate hazardous impact on the environment.
The MHF cleanup team further learned of the importance of avoiding plastic use, it's impact on the environment and the risks posed for St. Maarten’s future environmental wellness and quality of life, if measures are not taken to protect and reverse our current hazardous situation.
The MHF team thanked the Nature Foundation for their collaborative efforts and commended one another on their successful contribution toward their community. MHF Clients and staff rewarded their hard work with some deserved relaxation at Divi Beach where they enjoyed a nice lunch and some fun in the sun.
Source: Souliga Newsday https://www.soualiganewsday.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=44745:mhf-clients-remove-355-pounds-of-trash-from-belair-beach&Itemid=450
