Our First Beach Clean Up was a Resounding Success.
Photo taken by Adam Straburzynski.
April 14th 2024 marks the first official beach clean-up event for Barbados Guide. It was a pleasant Sunday morning start, and with the help of our various sponsors and supporters was a successful and enjoyable activity. The beach clean-up started at Browne’s beach on beautiful Carlisle Bay, nestled on the Southwest Coast of Barbados. As volunteers arrived folks were provided with their garbage bags and buckets to and everyone teamed up in two’s and threes and set about along the white sandy beach to search for discarded items along the beach.
“Local beach goers joined the fun for some free coffee and donuts, yum!“
Photo taken by Adam Straburzynski.
Beach Clean Up #1 of Many to Come.
It was our first community event of what we expect to be many more clean up focused ventures, as we endeavor to not only provide an excellent resource for both tourists and locals alike to find what they’re looking for and get there using our website. But also, to be stewards towards keeping our environment pristine and welcoming for all who wish to enjoy it. We at Barbados Guide aim to be the site everyone uses to get around the Island and to give back by getting out into our community and rolling up our selves.
Click here or the button below to sign up for future clean ups and become a part of the BBG community.
Photo taken by Adam Straburzynski.
We were very pleased with the end result. Some businesses listed on our site joined us, our friend and colleague Jabar Henry and his crew from Enlightened Travelers, who offer a unique Bajan Hiking experience. Along with local volunteers form the St. Michael and Christ Church communities. Even some kind local beach goers were willing to chip in for a free coffee and some donuts. Compliments of Peter’s Barbados Bakery, and Pop Up Coffee (PUC). The event was also proudly sponsored by an Independent Film Crew from California called the Soul Street Foundation, currently producing a documentary on an outstanding Barbadian, soon to be released.
The clean-up commenced at 8.30am, as the kind volunteers arrived ready to do their part. Some local onlookers eager for some of the treats were soon gloving up and picking up trash scattered nearby and around existing barrels for trash collection. It was a beautiful day of comradery and taking time to walk, sweeping the beautiful Carlisle Bay, identifying trash to ensure it was as pristine as possible. From Pebbles Beach to beyond Boat Yard beach, every nook and cranny was surveyed and cleaned. It was a bittersweet experience, collecting trash that others discarded, especially on one of our most precious resources.
Browne’s Beach Car Park was the Place to Gather.
Photo taken by Adam Straburzynski.
Cigarette butts, tiny Ziplock bags and glass bottles were predominate. Pocketing Cigarette Butts, and not leaving tiny plastic bags on the beach should be easy to do, and taking your glass bottles with you when you leave should be the practice. We tallied around 22 volunteers, some of which didn’t make the group shot. All enjoyed a refreshing and thirst quenching bottle of Barbadian based Eco Skywater, who were also very supportive of our event. We are grateful for everyone who contributed their time and support. In total between 16 garbage bags full of garbage, 8 buckets of glass bottles and heavier trash, and plastic bottles were collected for recycling.
Photo taken by Adam Straburzynski.
Click here or the button below to sign up for future clean ups and become a part of the BBG community.
We intended to use our website’s capabilities to manage a Garbage Bin distribution program and with the use of QR Codes and geolocating coordinates, to ensure full bins are emptied and available for beach goers to use when needed. We would like to collaborate with the National Conservation Commission (NCC), to recycled donated packing barrels for use as garbage bins across the Island. To roll out and manage this joint venture program specially co-branded, we will seek to encourage a public/private partnership to work towards clean pristine beaches.
Photo taken by Adam Straburzynski.
Speaking about our site, it is a newly emerging force for locals and visitors alike to use to gain further insights into what’s happening in Barbados and where you can find what you’re looking for. Our simple to use search interface, enables visitors to quickly find what they are seeking, our ongoing blog articles along with our newly added events feature, will add to the list of exciting information we provide. For vendors and businesses on our site, we consider our clients, we provide easy payment options for preselling select items. Allowing customer credit card payments via a client’s business listing, whether on location, or from the comfort of home, customers can then easily secure that needed item using our easy payment options. Once purchased they can visit the location to have their emailed QR code verification confirmed and take the item home.
Photo taken by Adam Straburzynski.
Finally, we’d like to see an ongoing media campaign to encourage Barbadians to recognize the need for the cleanliness of our surroundings, which should be a point of pride in ourselves and our beautiful Island. This is something we will continue to encourage and market to our users and clients. We look forward to continuing to grow and contribute to Barbados in the most positive ways.
