St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Sandwatch activities started in 2001.
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Coordination of Sandwatch in St. Vincent & the Grenadines:
Sandwatch in St. Vincent & the Grenadines has been championed by Herman Belmar and Michelle Stowe, both from Bequia in the Grenadines. Other partners include the St. Vincent & the Grenadines National Commission for UNESCO, the National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority; and many other community groups who have been involved over the years. Schools involved include: Bequia Community High School, Seventh Day Adventist School
Status of Sandwatch in St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Active
Activities and Highlights:
Sandwatch Regional Workshop held in Trinidad
Participants from countries in the Caribbean archipelago and South America met for a week’s workshop from October 2nd to 5th 2017, at the Radisson Hotel in Trinidad. This workshop, titled ‘Sandwatch: A Combined Citizen Science Approach to Climate Change Adaptation and Education for Sustainable Development’, was organised by UNESCO Headquarters, the UNESCO Kingston Office and the UNESCO National Commission for Trinidad and Tobago. Participants were educational and curricula professionals and some teachers.
On day one Ms. Sandra de Vries of the Netherlands and Ms. Debra Mc Fee of the Gender Issues Department of the University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus, relayed experiences they encountered while trying to recruit members of different communities to become citizen scientists. The floor was then opened for questions and discussion. The rest of the day’s proceedings revolved around moderated group discussions on opportunities for the expansion of citizen science programmes within the Caribbean, with a focus on specific sustainable development goals. Day one concluded with an in-depth introduction to Sandwatch. Days 2 and 3 of the workshop foccused on Sandwatch activities at Las Cuevas Beach. Mr. Andy Paul and Mrs. Gourie Dukeran-Ali of Trinidad and Mrs. Michelle Stowe and Ms. Trachia Simmons of St. Vincent and the Grenadines trained the participants in Sandwatch activities including beach profiling, water and sand analysis, longshore current measurement and the measurement of human activities on the beach. Trainers from the Institute of Marine Affairs in Trinidad and Tobago demonstrated further beach profiling tools such as automatic levelling.
On the final day of the workshop Mrs Michelle Stowe demonstrated how the enter the information collected on the previous days into the Sandwatch International Database. Portraying Sandwatch through art was other activity. The workshop concluded with a lively discussion on how to merge and integrate the different aspects of the Sandwatch initiative into the education curriculum.
Michelle Stowe and Trachia Simmons.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Participants from countries in the Caribbean archipelago and South America met for a week’s workshop from October 2nd to 5th 2017, at the Radisson Hotel in Trinidad. This workshop, titled ‘Sandwatch: A Combined Citizen Science Approach to Climate Change Adaptation and Education for Sustainable Development’, was organised by UNESCO Headquarters, the UNESCO Kingston Office and the UNESCO National Commission for Trinidad and Tobago. Participants were educational and curricula professionals and some teachers.
On day one Ms. Sandra de Vries of the Netherlands and Ms. Debra Mc Fee of the Gender Issues Department of the University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus, relayed experiences they encountered while trying to recruit members of different communities to become citizen scientists. The floor was then opened for questions and discussion. The rest of the day’s proceedings revolved around moderated group discussions on opportunities for the expansion of citizen science programmes within the Caribbean, with a focus on specific sustainable development goals. Day one concluded with an in-depth introduction to Sandwatch. Days 2 and 3 of the workshop foccused on Sandwatch activities at Las Cuevas Beach. Mr. Andy Paul and Mrs. Gourie Dukeran-Ali of Trinidad and Mrs. Michelle Stowe and Ms. Trachia Simmons of St. Vincent and the Grenadines trained the participants in Sandwatch activities including beach profiling, water and sand analysis, longshore current measurement and the measurement of human activities on the beach. Trainers from the Institute of Marine Affairs in Trinidad and Tobago demonstrated further beach profiling tools such as automatic levelling.
On the final day of the workshop Mrs Michelle Stowe demonstrated how the enter the information collected on the previous days into the Sandwatch International Database. Portraying Sandwatch through art was other activity. The workshop concluded with a lively discussion on how to merge and integrate the different aspects of the Sandwatch initiative into the education curriculum.
Michelle Stowe and Trachia Simmons.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines
2 - 5 October 2017: Sandwatchers from Bequia provide training to participants at the Sandwatch Workshop in Trinidad & Tobago.
Participants from the Caribbean and South America gathered in Trinidad and Tobago for a regional Sandwatch workshop on "Sandwatch: a combined citizen science approach to climate change adaptation and education for sustainable development". Michelle Stowe and Trachia Simmons were among the trainers.
- Please click here to read their report on the workshop
Participants from the Caribbean and South America gathered in Trinidad and Tobago for a regional Sandwatch workshop on "Sandwatch: a combined citizen science approach to climate change adaptation and education for sustainable development". Michelle Stowe and Trachia Simmons were among the trainers.
- Please click here to read their report on the workshop
Learning how to measure beach profiles
August 2015: new groups from the National Parks, Rivers and Beaches authority on mainland St. Vincent receive training on the measurement of beach profiles from the Sandwatch group.
Belmont Beach in Bequia in 1994
December 2014: St. Vincent & the Grenadines won 2nd prize for their entry on Belmont Beach in 1994 and 2014 in the Sandwatch International Photo Competition.
Training on using the database in 2013
September 2013: Training workshop on the Sandwatch International Database held in St. Vincent & the Grenadines attended by teachers and students.
December 2012: St. Vincent & the Grenadines restarts Sandwatch.
July 2009: Bequia Sandwatch group conducts water quality testing to provide information for planned desalinisation plant.
October 2008: Sandwatch staff and students on Bequia expand their used bottle cap mural project.
July 2008: Sandwatch staff and students on Bequia make an environmental mural with used bottle caps.
November 2007: Staff and students of Bequia Community High School conduct a beach clean-up and open a community radio station.
June 2007: Sandwatch students on Bequia do a beach clean-up and train new groups on Sandwatch methods.
February 2007: Mr. Herman Belmar and Ms. Marsha Gregg work with sand miners in St. Vincent to make the activity sustainable.
December 2006: Mr. Herman Belmar and Ms. Marsha Gregg and students attend the Regional Sandwatch Youth Symposium, held on Trinidad and delivered two presentations, one on Education for sustainable Development as it relates to St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and one on Sandwatch: An Educational Tool.
July 2006: The R.I.P.P.L.E.S. Sandwatch Team on Bequia organize a community beach clean-up and Treasure Hunt with support of local business owners.
June 2006: Sandwatch students trained in SCUBA diving and took part in Reef Check.
Students cleaning the Paget Farm drain
June 2005: Bequia Community High School won 2nd prize in the UNESCO Community Sandwatch Competition (Secondary School section) with their entry on the cleaning of the Paget Farm drain - see their competition entry.
July 2003: Mr. Herman Belmar and two students - Racquel Phillips and Michael Peniston - participated in the Second Sandwatch Workshop held in Dominica. See report on the workshop.
2003: The Bequia Community High School won the Commonwealth Youth award for their Sandwatch activities.
March 2003: The Bequia Community High School team hosted and trained a group of students and teachers from the Mayaro Government Primary school, Trinidad and Tobago. They have also shared Sandwatch with visiting North American students.
2002: Teachers and students from the Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School, Union Island Secondary School, Barrouallie Secondary School, St. Martin’s Secondary School, and the Petit Bordel Secondary School were trained and involved in Sandwatch monitoring. The Mayreau Environmental Development Organization, and the North Leeward Development Organization have also received Sandwatch training
May 2001: Mr. Herman Belmar of the Bequia Community High School took part in the first Sandwatch Training Workshop in St. Lucia.