Hundreds of students from schools in Kingston and St. Catherine are expected to converge at the Two Sisters Caves in Hellshire, St. Catherine on Thursday, May 31, for the Urban Development Corporation’s (UDC) 6th Annual Hellshire Enviro Fair. The event which will last from 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. is a community outreach activity aimed at encouraging eco-friendly practices and environmental awareness.
The Fair is being held in celebration of International Day for Biological Diversity, which is celebrated on May 22nd annually. The theme for this year is Marine Biodiversity. Several organizations, including the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and the Jamaica Protected Areas Trust Limited (JPAT) will provide displays highlighting eco-friendly practices. The day’s activities will also include prizes and surprises.
Awards will be presented to the winning schools from infant, primary and secondary institutions who participated in the “2012 Hellshire Schools Enviro Competition”. This year 19 schools participated in the competition which was carried out between September 2011 and May 2012. Students were required to implement environmental projects, guided by their teachers. The projects this year focused on recycling, assessing the effects of soil erosion, garbage disposal, pollution reduction and prevention of rat infestation.
The UDC hosted the inaugural Hellshire Enviro Fair during May 2007 and organized the Hellshire Schools Enviro Competition for the first time during 2008.