Trelawny to embark on enviro awareness drive

Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

PRIDE OF Trelawny president, Barrington Ferguson, whose group is focused on increasing environmental awareness, said Trelawny needs to be cleaned up to facilitate the large numbers of visitors that are expected to descend upon the historical town when the cruise-ship port opens next year.

"Tourists will not spend in a dirty surrounding and Trelawny needs to be cleaned up," said Ferguson.

"We need to take more pride in our surroundings. How do we expect tourists, disembark from the cruise ship that will be here in January and spend if our environment is always filthy?" he told The Gleaner.

"Measures need to be put in place to ensure that it is kept clean."

Pride of Trelawny was conceptualised eight months ago by Ferguson, out of the need to boost environmental awareness and build national pride starting with the parish of Trelawny.

It is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation focused on educating the public about keeping their communities clean of garbage - that has become a permanent resident in surroundings.

A stroll through the town of Falmouth, and a visit to Burwood Public Beach, revealed a noticeable absence of sufficient trash bins, something that has left Ferguson very incensed.

"We care and you should care too! Stop saying that "this is not my responsibility" or that 'there are no funds to buy garbage bins or dispose the garbage pile up', we all have to live in Trelawny and will benefit from the income of tourism," Ferguson charged.

"First impressions are very important, and in this day and age of technology, when someone visits our parish and all they can see is filth, they are going to turn to the social media and say don't get off in Jamaica."

Pride of Trelawny was able to solicit the assistance of close to 150 volunteers to participate in a beach clean-up in November, as well as from local and overseas entities to fund the activity, which saw six truckloads of garbage being removed from Burwood Beach in the parish.

"We appreciate the sponsors who have taken the opportunity to partner with us. But we are appealing to more corporate citizens to come onboard to support our efforts to keep not only Trelawny clean, but the entire Jamaica, through a sustained public education campaign driven by getting results," Ferguson appealed.