The Rotaract Club of Tortola recently facilitated a successful community clean up along the coast of Wickhams Cay I. The initiative, which was primarily based around the parking lot of Jayla Place, proved to be a greater task than expected, as Rotaractors and other participants were surprised by the volume of trash along the coast.
Director Shocketa Anderson, who was in charge of organising the community service activity, said she was startled to see the variety of trash among the bushes.
“There were many different types of trash through the bushes and mangroves that I wasn’t expecting to see. I saw car parts, furniture, and even used sanitary pads.
Despite spending so much time there, I believe we only scratched the surface, there are so many more items deep in the bushes that need to be removed.”
President of the Rotaract Club of Tortola, Temulji Hughes, said that he was most concerned by the fact that a lot of the items seemed to have been there for a long time.
“We unearthed a lot of trash that appeared to be there for some time. Many wrappers and containers featured old packaging. It seems like the area has been neglected for an extended period. As a club that regularly does community clean-up initiatives, we are hoping we can help alleviate the area and that others will get involved so that we may cover more ground in the future.”
The Club customarily holds or participates in a cleanup each year in recognition of International Coastal Cleanup Day. International Service Director, Elvon Pope, says that he’s hopeful the club can secure sponsorship in the event that a larger cleanup is held for this year’s International Coastal Cleanup day on September 17th.
“The Rotaractors and other members of the community and BVI Rotary Family gave a great effort, but we could have moved more efficiently if we had more equipment such as grabbers for each participant, rakes, and other tools. We intend to appeal to community-minded businesses who would like to see a cleaner BVI to assist us with this effort.”
Rotaract is a service, leadership and community service organisation for young men and women between the ages 18–30. The Rotaract Club of Tortola meets every 1st and 3rd Fridays at 5:30 p.m. at the Department of Youth Affairs & Sports’ Conference Room.