The sound of crashing waves on a rocky shore and howling wind fills the air. These characteristic sounds of Anguilla’s eastern coastline almost drown out the chatter and laughter of a group of young people who are walking along a sandy track at Sile Bay. Armed with pens, paper, and camera phones, their mission is to locate and photograph 18 items that can be found around Grey Pond.

Students enjoying an afternoon at Shoal Bay beach

Drawing on information given to them during the previous days’ activities and their understanding of Anguilla’s natural world, the students search the micro- and macro-scale landscapes for the objects, all the while learning about sand dunes, wetland birds, and coastal development. The hike around Grey Pond marked one of the many Adventure Anguilla activities the 17 young people from the ALHCS Environmental Club participated in during the week of 10 December.

Funded by Flag Anguilla-Temenos Anguilla and the Department of Youth and Culture, Ministry of Social Development, Adventure Anguilla was similar to last year’s camp in that the programme sought to raise awareness among Anguilla’s youth of the importance of and interconnection among the island’s land, marine, and coastal ecosystems. Unlike the previous year, however, all of the activities were held outdoors.

Despite the storm system that passed over the island last week and that forced the cancellation of two of the planned hikes through Katouche Valley and the West End coast (the latter of which was to be guided by Lenox Proctor of the Department of Youth and Culture), the students were kept busy and engaged with sessions that were facilitated by a number of different individuals and agencies. In addition to hikes along The Forest coast and Grey Pond, the students learned about Anguilla’s fishing industry from Mr. Kenroy Rawlins of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources. Mr. Kenn Banks of the Archaeological and Historical Society led the students on a cross-island tour of some of Anguilla’s key historical and cultural sites. The students learned about fresh, salt, and brackish water chemistry from Temenos Golf Club agronomists Mr. Carl Ryggs and Mr. Seth Miller and about butterflies from the Department of Environment’s Mr. Keith David. The camp closed with a lunch catered by Elodius and a swim at Shoal Bay beach. A trip to Scrub Island which had been scheduled for the afternoon of 14 December has been postponed to early 2008 due to rough seas.

Throughout the week and in an effort to further challenge the students, participants were divided into small groups of three or four and each team was tested on various aspects of Anguilla’s natural and cultural heritage. The winning team, comprised of Brittany Jeffers, Keivois Lake, and Clarissa Lloyd, answered the most number of skill-testing questions correctly.

The National Trust had hoped that through Adventure Anguilla, ALHCS Environmental Club students would be able to build on their existing interest in Anguilla’s natural environment, to learn more about the opportunities and threats to small island development, to spend quality time outdoors with their peers, and to have fun while doing so. During an evaluation of the camp, the positive feedback was substantial. Gerard MacDonna, Treasurer of the Club and camp participant, commented that “It was fun, educational, and exciting – I learned a lot of new things. I’d love to be a part of it next year, for sure!” – sentiments that were reiterated by many of the students.

On a hike around Grey Pond

While the camp is coordinated by the ANT, the success of Adventure Anguilla relies on the efforts and support of many other individuals and a particularly that of Environmental Club members as well as advisors, Mrs. Maxine Alonzo and Ms Joselyn Theophile-Richardson. The Trust also notes that the financial support provided by camp sponsors, Flag Anguilla-Temenos Anguilla and the Ministry of Social Development, was also pivotal since the funds allowed the camp to proceed. The Trust hopes that with continued local support and interest, Adventure Anguilla will become a mainstay of the Trusts’ youth environmental education programme.

Mr. Keith David facilitating a session on Anguilla’s butterflies

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