Sandwatch restarts in Bequia, St.Vincent & Grenadines
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The Sandwatch Programme has re-started in Bequia after a long break and with the support of Sandwatch Bequia Inc., a fully registered non-governmental/social organization. Funding was secured from the Inter American Foundation through the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Conservation Fund The programme is organized by the science club of the Bequia Community High School and led by Mr. Orthwin Simmons and Ms. Michelle Stowe. Membership currently stands at around fifty adults and students and is growing. Sandwatch equipment has been purchased. Training sessions started in late 2024 with the support of Mr. Herman Belmar, founding member of the Sandwatch programme in Bequia. Fifteen enthusiastic students were trained over two sessions.
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They started by measuring beach profiles and fell into the technique quite easily with the usual minor distractions by being next to the water and the taxi stand, and tourists tramping over the tape measure and getting in the way of the line of sight. They were fascinated with longshore currents, and witnessed the forces of erosion as the ships come and go. They look forward to entering the data on the Beach Records platform and supporting environmental sustainability and conservation.
About Sandwatch Bequia Inc.
Sandwatch Bequia is now a fully registered non-governmental/social organization as of January 2023. This step was necessary for transparency and to secure funding. It is a requirement for access to funding opportunities.
The organization began its revitalization pre covid19 through the science club at the Bequia community high school- formerly the Bequia Anglican High school. Unfortunately covid19 stymied progress. This setback was further exacerbated by the refurbishment of the school plant which is still underway and is scheduled to be completed in December 2024. This prevented the purchase of equipment due to security concerns. The registration of the organization and establishing a business account were also tedious processes which further delayed activities.
Currently we have sourced and secured funding for Sandwatch activities through the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Conservation Fund (SVGCF) from the Inter American Foundation in the sum of US15000.00. As part of the funding requirement the SVGCF trained Sandwatch members on NGO/social organization management, funding access and documentation and other concept and processes. They were also instrumental with registration of the organization. The training was a significant turning point and a rich learning experience for the organization’s participants. We understood the value of organizational strengthening to the success of NGOs.
Currently the organization is:
Membership currently stands at around fifty adults and students and growing. Training sessions are done with the support of Mr. Herman Belmar founding member of the Sandwatch, Mrs. Michelle Stowe, Mr. Jovarnie Rose, Mr. Orthwin Simmons, and Ms. Shaveca Hazell.
The excitement and interest from former members are also propelling the work of the organization. The students too, are excited about being in the field and working in the natural environment. We look forward to feeding data into the new system and supporting environmental sustainability and conservation.
Mr. Orthwin Simmons,
Sandwatch Director
About Sandwatch Bequia Inc.
Sandwatch Bequia is now a fully registered non-governmental/social organization as of January 2023. This step was necessary for transparency and to secure funding. It is a requirement for access to funding opportunities.
The organization began its revitalization pre covid19 through the science club at the Bequia community high school- formerly the Bequia Anglican High school. Unfortunately covid19 stymied progress. This setback was further exacerbated by the refurbishment of the school plant which is still underway and is scheduled to be completed in December 2024. This prevented the purchase of equipment due to security concerns. The registration of the organization and establishing a business account were also tedious processes which further delayed activities.
Currently we have sourced and secured funding for Sandwatch activities through the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Conservation Fund (SVGCF) from the Inter American Foundation in the sum of US15000.00. As part of the funding requirement the SVGCF trained Sandwatch members on NGO/social organization management, funding access and documentation and other concept and processes. They were also instrumental with registration of the organization. The training was a significant turning point and a rich learning experience for the organization’s participants. We understood the value of organizational strengthening to the success of NGOs.
Currently the organization is:
- Sourcing and organizing resources to engage in public activities and data collection
- Establishing contact with other organizations for collaboration including National Parks Rivers and Beaches Authority and Fisheries Division ministry of Agriculture
- Training youths in the skills required for data collection.
- Holding a discussion with staff to infuse Sandwatch knowledge and skills into the science curriculum across the school.
- Conducting beach visits to establish data collection schedule, mapping
Membership currently stands at around fifty adults and students and growing. Training sessions are done with the support of Mr. Herman Belmar founding member of the Sandwatch, Mrs. Michelle Stowe, Mr. Jovarnie Rose, Mr. Orthwin Simmons, and Ms. Shaveca Hazell.
The excitement and interest from former members are also propelling the work of the organization. The students too, are excited about being in the field and working in the natural environment. We look forward to feeding data into the new system and supporting environmental sustainability and conservation.
Mr. Orthwin Simmons,
Sandwatch Director