Beach clean-up with Project AWARE

On saturday, October 17th White Sands Dive Sho conducted its first session of the AWARE Kids program. The program is designed for kids 5 through 11 years of age and designed to educate primary students about the underwater environment.

There are a total of 5 AWARE Kids Missions: Kids Clean Up!, Recycling Rocks! Kids to the Rescue! (Threatened Underwater Animals), Way Cool Water Conservation! and Speak Out! each to be conducted on a Saturday.

Saturdays beach cleanup gave kids in the AWARE Kids Program credit for AWARE Mission 1: Kids Clean Up! and each will receive a certificate of appreciation from Jenny Miller Garmendia the director of Project AWARE Foundation. Immediately following the Beach Cleanup the Kids will be given a Reef Snorkel Experience by one of White Sands Dive Shops Tour Guides.

White Sands Dive Shops AWARE Kids program is conducted in conjunction with The Project AWARE Foundation’s Go ECO – Explore, Conserve, Observe. The campaign adopted a mile of Ambergris Cayes beach. The mile of beach begins at Las Terrazas/Journeys End Resort and extends Northward to Mata Grande.

White Sands Dive Shop Manager Emiliano Rivero commented.” The Beach will be patrolled and cleaned regularly of plastics and glass with an emphasis placed on not disturbing naturally occurring beach wash such as sea grasses and drift woods necessary for the prevention of erosion and support of biodiversity of the area. We are not just cleaning the beach we are protecting it. This barrier island beach is a part of the reef system and were going to treat it with the same respect we give the corals.”

AWARE ECO educates travelers about keeping natural areas pristine and encourages tour operators to implement environmentally responsible business practices.
AWARE Kids educates elementary school aged kids who want
to discover, explore and investigate the fascinating aquatic world.

Tourism is the world’s largest industry and travelers are increasingly concerned about
their destination’s environmental condition. San Pedros divers and industry leaders have a responsibility to preserve local resources they depend on every day.

Project AWARE ECO Operators Such as Ambergris’s White Sands Dive Shop provides customers with experiences that enhance visitor awareness. (Reprinted from The Island Newspaper)