Throughout July 2026, the Preventing Marine Litter in the Caribbean Sea (PROMAR) St. Kitts and Nevis Project, in collaboration with Blue Conscience, delivered a series of engaging marine litter awareness sessions across summer camps in St. Kitts and Nevis. Reaching children as young as four and as old as sixteen, the sessions used storytelling, games, movement-based activities, and guided discussions to introduce campers to the PROMAR project, build their understanding of marine litter and plastic pollution, and inspire them to become responsible Ocean Protectors and environmental stewards through simple, everyday actions.

 

The season's outreach began on Nevis, where PROMAR partnered with the St. Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Services (SKNFRS) to deliver an interactive marine litter awareness session to more than 50 campers at Charlestown Primary School. Facilitated by CFBC representatives Fidel O'Flaherty and Elson James, the session drew a compelling parallel between fire prevention and marine litter prevention, encouraging children to become both "Fire Safety Champions" and "Ocean Protectors." Through scenario-based discussions and a hands-on "plastic bottle challenge," campers explored how small individual actions, whether a discarded bottle or an unattended flame, can escalate into much larger environmental or safety consequences, reinforcing that prevention and personal responsibility lie at the heart of both fire safety and ocean protection.

 

At Dr. William Connor Primary School in St. Kitts, facilitators Dietra Wharton, Elson James, and Kodi Edwards engaged approximately 140 children aged 7 to 12 in a one-hour educational programme exploring the importance of healthy oceans. Through the Pelly the Pelican story, children learned how marine animals often mistake plastic for food, while the Plastic Breakdown Timeline Game challenged teams to sequence everyday items, from apples to plastic bottles, according to how long they take to decompose. The session closed with the PROMAR Ocean Protector Pledge, with every child committing to protect the ocean, reduce litter, and encourage others to care for the marine environment.

 

The same day, facilitators Alessandra Polo and Claudia Walwyn engaged 13 children aged 4 to 12 at the Alliance Française in Greenlands, Basseterre. Campers met Oualie and Liamuiga, the Indigenous names for St. Kitts and Nevis, before exploring marine biodiversity and the impacts of plastic pollution through Pelly the Pelican. A highlight of the session was a lively microplastics feeding game, where children imagined themselves as fish feeding in the ocean, using rice to represent food and peas to represent microplastics, sparking an engaged discussion on how marine animals unintentionally ingest plastic.

 

At Basseterre High School, facilitators Claudia Walwyn and Elson James delivered an inclusive session to 17 participants aged 5 to 16, including two students with learning disabilities. The session was carefully adapted to accommodate the wide age range and diverse learning needs, using small groups, printed puzzles, and matching activities to maintain engagement throughout. Campers explored the Plastic Timeline Game and a playful microplastics feeding challenge, before concluding with the PROMAR Ocean Protector Pledge and the distribution of Young Protector Certificates.

 

The season's outreach concluded at the St. Kitts Yacht Club Sailing Camp in Frigate Bay, where facilitators Kodi Edwards, Claudia Walwyn, and Elson James engaged five young sailors aged 8 to 12. Having spent the morning on the beach and in the ocean, the sailors brought a strong existing appreciation for the marine environment to the session. Through storytelling and interactive discussion, facilitators introduced Oualie and Liamuiga and explored how plastics break down into microplastics that persist in the environment for decades. The young sailors eagerly shared their own experiences of encountering marine litter while sailing, with many describing how they already collect and properly dispose of litter they find, a strong testament to the values already being cultivated through the sailing programme.

 

Across five summer camps and more than 200 children reached, PROMAR's July 2026 outreach demonstrated the power of interactive, age-appropriate environmental education in building a new generation of environmental stewards across St. Kitts and Nevis. By adapting its approach to suit different ages, learning needs, and camp settings, from fire safety camps to sailing and music camps, the PROMAR team, together with Blue Conscience and community partners, continues to expand its reach and deepen young people's understanding of marine litter and plastic pollution. The PROMAR team extends sincere appreciation to all camp coordinators, facilitators, and partner organisations whose collaboration made this summer of outreach possible, helping to equip the Federation's next generation with the knowledge and motivation needed to protect St. Kitts and Nevis' coastal and marine ecosystems for years to come.