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Montego Bay Marine Park Jamaica
     
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October 2004

Volume I
Issue 10
   
Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce Expo, 8th-10th
Staff members, Heather Crawford and Daina Heaven, represented the Marine Park Trust at this expo. The many school children, and even adults, who passed through had fun looking at the marine life in the sand box and learning about the underwater world.
School children discover marine treasures in sand box
Ranger Heaven talks about the marine environment
Montego Bay Marine Park Trust Awarded Silver Musgrave Medal (13th)
Daina Heaven, Donnovan Gooden and Couen Clarke with medal The Trust proudly received the 2004 Silver Musgrave Medal from the Council of the Institute of Jamaica for outstanding merit in environmental protection. Operations Manager, Donnovan Gooden, received the Award on the Trust's behalf. Silver Musgrave Medal
Staff Changes - Losses and Gains
Heather McFarlane

Our Community Relations Officer, Heather McFarlane, left the Trust at the end of this month in order to pursue other endeavours. We wish her the best and thank her for all her hard work and dedication.

The Trust also gained an intern this month. Peter Tiaden from the University of Applied Arts and Sciences in Hannover, Germany, will be with us for four months on a public relations internship. While in Jamaica, he will be working on enhancing the Marine Park’s public image. Willkommen Peter!

 Peter Tiaden
Raising Environmental Awareness in Schools
It is a fact that many school children in Montego Bay are not aware of the bounty of marine resources that exist in their own backyard, and how their own actions on land may end up negatively affecting them. In order to change this, the Trust's Outreach Department is making presentations on the marine environment to all grades in the following schools: Glendevon, Mount Salem and Farm Primary and Junior High Schools, and Bogue Hill All Age. Garbage and composting drums have also been made available for participating schools.
Farm Primary and Junior High
International Coastal Cleanup Day Observed (23rd)

On Saturday, October 23rd, The Montego Bay Marine Park Trust organized a cleanup of The Old Hospital Beach, including an underwater cleanup, in observance of International Coastal Cleanup Day. Normally held worldwide on the third Saturday of September, this annual event was postponed in Jamaica from September 18th to October 23rd due to the passage of Hurricane Ivan. Although the Trust had already staged a cleanup beside the River Bay Fishing Beach on September 18th, it was felt that an even bigger impact could be made on the new date.

The turnout was great, with 71 people participating in the cleanup effort. Volunteers came from St. James Prep, the Montego Bay Community College, MBJ Airports Ltd. and Breezes Montego Bay, as well as regular Marine Park volunteers and friends of Marine Park staff. Marie Dixon Seidel, our volunteer clown, kept spirits up with her silly pranks.

Volunteers, Couen and Sunil, recording garbage data Clowny picks up a dirty diaper - pew! Daina and Heather clean up under the water
Fisheries Warden Programme in Full Swing
Marva Moodie, NEPA, presents on surveillance

Montego Bay area fishers from River Bay, Whitehouse and Bogue continued their training to become Fisheries Wardens, attending educational sessions ranging from conflict resolution to the duties of a game warden to marine search and rescue. Their training programme takes place on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and will continue into November.
Happy Hour Corner

The Montego Bay Marine Park Happy Hour happens on the first Thursday of every month. It is an educational forum open to the public, which takes place at Pier One. Although the presentations begin at 7pm, drink specials are offered from 6 to 8 pm.

On October 7th, Heather McFarlane presented on recent steps taken by SWAT (Solid Waste Action Team) members to improve solid waste management in Montego Bay. She also highlighted the results from the International Coastal Cleanup Day event held on September 18th. A DVD of her presentation is available for public use by contacting the Marine Park Trust.
Coming up in November

• Blue Flag Raising Ceremony
• Conservation Training Week
• Half Moon Staff Learns About Sea Turtles

And More!
 
 
Thanks for joining us, and have a nice Bay!
     
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