Greater Portmore Primary and Camperdown High Schools copped the top prizes valued at $25,000 each and the winning trophies, in their respective categories, for participating in the Urban Development Corporation’s (UDC) “2010 Hellshire Schools Enviro Competition”. The awards were presented at the 4th Annual Hellshire Enviro Fair, held at Two Sisters Caves on October 7, 2010.
According to Lincoln McFarlane, Head of the Science Department at Camperdown High School “The competition provided an impetus for the students to become more involved in environmental projects. As a result of participating in the competition, the students have become confident and more passionate about the environment”. Mareca Hill, a teacher from Greater Portmore Primary indicated that her students are now more aware and inclined to preserve the environment.
The competition, which was open to primary through to tertiary institutions in Kingston and St. Andrew and sections of St. Catherine, was aimed at encouraging enviro friendly practices among young people and was carried out over the period October 2009 to May 2010. To participate in this competition students were required to implement environmental projects within their schools with minimal intervention from teachers. The projects this year included research in areas such as green house gardening, recycling, protected species awareness, dust reduction and refuse tracking. Second place winners St. Jago Cathedral Preparatory and Merl Grove High School also received cash prizes valued at $15,000 each.
Approximately 600 patrons, including students from 25 primary, secondary and tertiary schools turned out to support the event. Activities at the event included poster competitions, exhibits prepared by organizations such as the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Hope Zoo, the Institute of Jamaica and the UDC, as well as tours of Two Sisters Caves.
The Enviro Fair is a community outreach activity aimed at encouraging environment friendly practices. The UDC hosted its first Enviro Fair at Green Grotto Caves in St. Ann during October 2006 and the inaugural Hellshire Enviro Fair in May 2007.