By Charissa Barnes ( 11 years old)
My name is Charissa Barnes, I am a girl. I am a twelve years old standard five student of All Saints Primary School. I live with my Mother and Father in Lord’s Bank Village and I am the eldest of three children – one sister and one brother. My hobbies include reading, listening to music and playing my keyboard, which I am currently being trained to do.
I have seen a lot of news reports about the need for Belizeans to become more caring and conscious of the environment in which we live, in order to ensure that it remains the same or even improved in years to come. I have listened to the talks about off-shore drilling and the effects of it on our marine life and I have also heard talks from the Belize Audubon Society about the need to preserve our natural reserves.
At my school we have discussed the environmental effects of our choices, and also the effects of climate change on the environment. We usually discuss these topics once or twice per year, when we embark on an activity to demonstrate better care of the environment.
However, I believe that through this program, I will gain a better understanding of the environment and steps that can be taken to improve it. I will be able to contribute more innovative solutions at school for the care of the environment. This camp will help to make me a better, more rounded person and it will give me hands on experience of what it takes to care for the environment.
The children of this generation have been out of tuned to the environment because of television and video games. We have not been observant of our surroundings and the negative changes our actions have. I believe that if we work together we will be able to achieve great things one small change at a time.