Richmond Vale Academy The St. Vincent Climate Compliance Conference 2012-2021
April 2016
ClimateComplianceNEWS
For a Sustainable and Healthy St. Vincent Global Warming and Climate Change are real; temperatures are rising steadily, droughts and extreme weather are becoming more frequent. The ice is melting and sea levels are rising. Also in St. Vincent we can feel the effects of a changing climate.
Permaculture and biodiverse gardening techniques offer us a solution to the problems we will face i n t h e f u t u re . P ro t e c t i n g a n d enhancing the environment and the rich biodiversity of St. Vincent and the Grenadines must be a key point on the agenda.
Another way to enhance the environment is to plant trees, and lots of them! Trees, among many benefits such as preventing soil erosion, protecting from heavy winds and taking CO2 out of the atmosphere, offer us also a good source of nutrition. Especially the Moringa Tree offers us amazing options to improve
our health and avoid many diseases. Besides Moringa, it is also very important for our health to eat organically grown food, which doesn’t bring the chemicals of fertilizers and pesticides into our bodies. GMOs are another cause of great concern when it comes to our health and our environment,
Especially the trough system that devastated St. Vincent on Christmas 2013 is a clear sign of a changing climate The trough system was followed by a period of drought in 2014 and unusual weather patterns in 2015. Scientists predict that over the coming years and decennia rain will
come less frequent but in much bigger amounts at a time. These extreme weather events will affect small island developing states such as St. Vincent the most of all.
We can get ready for the Climate Change crisis if we act now and make the necessary adaptations. The first step is an increased awareness about climate change issues and about ways to adapt to what is coming.
Soil erosion, conventional chemical agricultural practices and the changing rainfall patterns will make it much harder for farmers to have a successful farm production.
GMOs - a Reason for Concern
Using the Moringa Tree
Gaia Club in North Leeward
Biodiversity in your Garden
The Gaia club is a group youths coming together to serve as advocates for their community. It is more voluntary work and it is about what difference we can make in our community. The Gaia club is a group youths coming together to serve as advocates for their community.
Biodiversity is the diversity of all life, ecologically and genetically. It is the variety of life in genes, species and habitats, the variability among all different living organisms and the role they take in an ecosystem. The biodiversity we see today comes from billions of years of evolution.
Genetically Modified Organisms are a new type of crops, which through a process of manipulating genetic material from different plants and animals, big companies have constructed a new type of food. Several Vincentians have raised their concerns about GMOs entering St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The well-known Moringa Tree is a miracle for all our health and has many other benefits for our farms and animals. But how do we make use of this miracle tree? And how can we use Moringa in other ways that are beneficial to us and our environment?
To get ready for climate change, community involvement and the teaching of children and youth are essential in the creation of a sustainable and healthy future for St. Vincent. It’s time for everyone to get involved!
Genetically Modified Organisms Concerns from the Public Remain Unanswered Since 2007, several actors in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are working to pass a Biosafety Act, setting up the so-called ‘National Biosafety Framework’, meaning to create a legal framework to grow Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into St. Vincent.
Dr. Sylvester Lynch, one of the driving forces behind the Biosafety Act, claimed in Searchlight that the public is involved in framing the policy and legislation, yet concerns from the public are still remaining unanswered.
Genetically Modified Organisms are a new type of crops, which through a process of manipulating genetic material from different plants and animals, big companies have constructed a new type of food.
Genetically Modified foods are well-known to cause adverse affects on health and environment. Research shows that consuming GMOs can cause i n f e r t i l i t y, i m m u n e p ro b l e m s , accelerated aging, diabetes, serious gastrointestinal problems and increased allergies and even autism. S o m e o f t h e e ff e c t s o n t h e environment are loss of biodiversity,
permanent soil depletion, increased and stronger pests and the death of all micro-organisms that are so important for our soil and thus our food.
small island state. Such a ban will enable us to sustain a natural environment and promote a healthier St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
During 2015 several leading voices around St. Vincent and the Grenadines have raised their concerns about the attempt to bring GMOs into the country.
Stan Horne, Naturopath says: “The manufacturer’s (Monsanto, Dupont, etc) sole aim is to make a profit at the expense of your and my health. GMO/Frankenfoods are Trojan horses bearing unknown substances, and if we the public knew what they contained we would not eat them.”
Among them the Inivershall Rastafari Movement (read more below). Modupe Olufunmi Jacobs, member of the IRM said in our last year’s edition: “GMOS are criminal and should be made illegal. They were created by monstrous bio chemical companies like Monsanto who are known for making pesticides and other poisonous killers. I urge the powers that be to engage,involve, and provide full transparency to civil society in respect to their position on GMOS, LMOS, and what this Bio Safety Act really means if it were to become a law.”
B a r r i s t e r- a t - L a w S h i l a n Z i t a Bernwall says “Ideally, we would rather see legislation coming into force which BANS all forms of GMO/ LMOs from our beloved
Agronomist Clive Bishop, says that “The process of Genetic Engineering or Genetic Modification to produce GM crops is a new science which creates unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional cross breeding methods. This causes grave loss of soil fertility and biodiversity”
issue, we Vincentians are faced with a proposed bill on “biotech safety”, which is essentially a bill to “supposedly” regulate the importation of GMOs and LMOs (Living Modified Organisms). The bill was initiated in 2007, but to our understanding very few Vincentians k n o w a n y t h i n g a b o u t i t . We Vincentians, as a Christian Nation deserve the right to say NO to GMOs and LMOs entering our blessed islands! At the end of the day, it is our health and our lives that we are dealing with. Think of your health, your children’s and future generations. Think of your country’s health.” says Alexandra Paulino Punnett from Chatoyer Gardens.
"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" –as Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine said. In our looking at the GMO
Marching Against Monsanto in SVG The Inivershall Rastafari Movement Inc.; & Wondo Ghenet, in St. Vincent & the Grenadines; will Join the Global March Against Monsanto. On Saturday May 21st. 2016, we will gather with all invited organizations, guests and interested parties; in front of the Court House in Kingstown, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The IRM goals are to make this an Edutaining day in which facts, information, are discussed and shared in order to raise national attention to the dangers of GMO's and their use in SVG.
In collaboration with the Organizers of the March Against Monsanto, Richmond Vale Academy, Student leaders of the SVG Community College; the IRM 's ultimate goal is to have St. Vincent & the Grenadines be heard, not only on a local level but by others around the world, who are struggling to end Monsanto's domination of our planet's food supply in seeds.
We hope you will join the IRM in this Global Event. We will be conducting general public meetings in the near future to ensure this event is inclusive of all stakeholders. All will be encouraged and invited to attend and participate. Stay tuned to local Radio Station, and the Facebook page “March Against Monsanto-St. Vincent & the Grenadines”.
For more information about the event contact:
IRM Directors, Ras Andre Liverpool 784-593-4752 & Ras Yacob 784 454-7279
!2
Multiple Benefits of the Moringa Tree The Moringa Oleifera tree, also known as horseradish or drumstick tree, grows in many places all over the world, including St. Vincent. It stems from the Indian subcontinent, where it has been used in traditional medicine for over 4000 years. However, not everyone knows of all the benefits of this plant.
The fast growing plant that likes tropical climates and can survive droughts has immense nutritional value that can be utilised in several ways. But the moringa tree also has other great uses that are easy and especially beneficial for farmers. Here are some of the ways you can use moringa.
Extremely High in Nutrition Moringa leaves are healthy for several reasons. They contain a l a rg e a m o u n t o f p r o t e i n , important vitamins A, B and C and minerals such as calcium, iron and zinc. They are rich in antioxidants, which is good for fighting chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes and helps moderate blood sugar levels. It has also been shown to lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation. Some studies also suggest that moringa protects
a g a i n s t a r s e n i c t o x i c i t y. Furthermore, as a coagulant agent, it attaches itself to hazardous bacteria and thereby removes toxins from the body. Ultimately, moringa serves as an excellent supplement for essential nutrients. And in contrast to other supplements, moringa is completely natural and with no known side-effects.
How to Use Moringa? Using Fresh Leaves There are different ways to enjoy this healthy plant. You can simply apply the leaves directly from the trees and into your food, in your salad, soup or juice. The taste of the raw leaves is similar to that of radishes, but in small amounts it will not stand out too much. You can pick leaves and put the fresh greens in your tea. Just remember not to boil the water, since it will kill of some of the beneficial effects.
Using Moringa Powder You can also utilize the plant completely by drying the leaves and making moringa powder. This way, the nutritional value lasts longer and is even enhanced in some cases. The dried moringa powder is also
suitable for sprinkling over your food, or you can just eat a teaspoon of the powder it each morning.
Feeding your animals Of course you do not have to be human to enjoy the gifts of the plant. Plant moringa trees near to the place you keep your pigs or chicken and use the young branches as easily accessible, healthy, organic and cheap feed for your animals. This will hopefully cut down costs of expensive, imported feed and your four-legged friends will gain from all the dietary benefits.
A study from Nicaragua showed that adding moringa leaves and branches increased cattle’s weight gain up to 32% and their milk production 43-65%. Finally, moringa leaf extract can be used as a food preservative, because it reduces oxidation, which in turn increases shelf life of meat.
Organic Fertilizer However, the moringa plant is not just for dietary enthusiast and people looking to increase their nutrition intake. In several cases the moringa tree has been used a s a g ro w t h e n h a n c e r i n o rg a n i c f a r m i n g . M o r i n g a Oleifera contains the Zeatin hormone. Working with the enzymes, vitamins and minerals, this hormone from the cytokinin group helps plants grow faster.
Different studies conducted in different tropical climates show very promising result. One study conducted by Foil & Foil in 1994 showed a 25-30% increase in yields in crops such as bell peppers, onion, maize coffee and melon. Another study from Nicaragua showed that the appliance of plant-growth spray increased yields 20-35%.
Combined with the addition of organic matter rich in carbon and nitrogen this serves as an excellent alternative to chemical fertilisers.
The foliar nutritional spray is very easy to make yourself. Simply mix 1lb of fresh moringa leaves with 1 cup of water, either by using a blender or mushing it together manually. Strain the liquid through a cloth and mix it with water at a ratio of 1:8. Spray on the top and bottom of the leaves of the plants, preferably not too long before sundown. Apply one week after seedlings emerge, and afterwards simply apply once each month.
The intensity, amount and the times applied vary in different experiments, so you can also just conduct your own experiment in order to see what works well in St. Vincent.
!3
The GAIA Club in North Leeward Recently, a group of Vincentians from North Leeward, a group of youth from United Kingdom and other international students from the Richmond Vale Academy spent around three weeks together learning about culture, climate change and sustainability. This came to be the first action of the Gaia Club.
The GAIA Club The Gaia Club is a partnership between the academy and local agriculture groups training community activists in education on sustainable practices. This first endeavor was sponsored by the David Ross Education Trust and the Mustique Charitable Trust and included several environmental actions, large and small, but which main focus was to bring together people from all over the world.
During the time where young, local Vincentians and British youth were working together with Richmond Vale Academy the Club went on investigations to learn about how climate change affects St. Vincent, to hear first hand stories about the trough system and the floods of 2013, did a beach clean-up, planted mangroves to improve coastal protection,
went to Mustique and Union Island, and much more.
Becoming Environmental Activists For some it was the first time as environmental activists, while others already had experience with community work. However, it was an educational experience for everyone involved. As British Lucie Hackett puts it: “I have learnt loads about, climate change, sustainability, risk reduction and the culture of St. Vincent. I loved talking to all the Vincentians around the school and in the villages about the way the 2013 floods effected them as it gives you a real, in depth understanding of the disaster and its consequences, and it gives you a much better understanding than a text book would in a geography lesson in England.” Lorraine Wright had the same experience: “I learnt how much littering can effect remote areas, and that the natural world is so important, as it prevents many disasters. I learnt there are natural and man-made methods to break down floods or storms. I would never have learnt this in a classroom or taken as much in.”
Sophie Barret agrees that the experience was educational: “I learnt so much during my time at the academy all about climate change, resilience and working together as a team to help one another in every way possible.”
But for most of the visitors, the people they met was what made the time special. “My favorite memory will be the people I met through the projects, Brits, residents and Vincentians”. The same goes for Lucie Hackett: “I have also made some life long friends that I hope to stay in contact with and visit sometime in the future. All the residents, locals and teachers were so supportive and this helped encourage me to try lots of new things”. The visit was mutually beneficial.
The Gaia Club in Chateaubelair Two Vincentians from Chateaubelair, Dotsie Slater and Claudisha Lewis, have been members of the Gaia Club from the very beginning. For them community work and people’s health are things that are worth your time:
“The Gaia club is a group youths coming together to serve as advocates for their community. It is more voluntary work and it is about what difference we can make in our community. Since it is newly formed we only had the time to work along with the UK group. But we plan to do a lot more stuff in the community. It was really a splendid time that we spent with the UK group...the way we interacted and were connected to easy other though we are from different cultures, its was truly amazing. I love my community and would want to see it move forward for the better. So whatever it is that we see that we can do, we will do. I want to make our community more health conscious as there is a saying that a healthier nation is a wealthier nation. We can start this by educating the youths so that they have a different mentality and would want to be healthier as there are a lot of benefits to this.”
A Special Thanks A mixed group of 30 people with youths from England, Youth in Agriculture from North Leeward along with students and teachers from Richmond Vale Academy successfully carried out a three week Climate Action course in March and April.
The groups studied about climate change, biodiversity, marine wildlife, organic farming, reduction of pollution and tree planting. The groups teamed up with The Parks and Beaches Authority and the Forestry Department and planted trees at the Richmond Beach front as part of the Richmond Coastal Conservation Initiative. The groups also engaged in a
beach clean up where more than 200 kilos of trash was picked up and brought to the landfill.
We t h a n k T h e M u s t i q u e Charitable Trust and the David Ross Education Trust for sponsoring the Climate Action Course which has been life changing for the participants and of great benefit to protect the environment in St. Vincent and
!4
The Gaia Club Teaching about Biodiversity Dotsie and Claudishe from the Chateaubelair Gaia Club also spend time going around schools in North Leeward to teach children about biodiversity along with Vincentian Selly Patterson, American Kelitha Nelson and Markus Pallesen from Denmark.
Together, the little group prepared five different lessons - What Does Biodiversity
Mean?, Biodiversity in Plants, Biodiversity & Birds, Marine Biodiversity and finally a video about the dangerous consequences of losing biodiversity. Over the course of a couple of weeks, the team split up and went around schools including Troumaka Primary and Secondary School, Petite Bordel, Rose Hall and Chateaubelair. The lessons consisted of presentations as well as interactive activities and games for the kids. The kids were also taught about the cultural and economical importance of trees, plants and animals, climate change, global warming and the negative consequences of littering. After finishing the last lesson at each school, the kids would learn a song about trees written by Selly and the Rose Hall Drummers.
About the teaching experience they say: “I had a great experience teaching about biodiversity lessons. It was also a learning process for me. It enlightened my knowledge about this topic as there were things I did not know about it. So because I know a lot more now I can now
become an activist. It was a very good experience.”
With the first project being a success there is definitely more to come from the Gaia Club. Anyone is welcome to join, if you have the passion for your community like Dotsie and Claudisha or if you are just beginning to get interested. The ideal is to have a group of 10 people as community activists in each village all over St. Vincent. Together, we c a n s u re l y make a difference.
Biodiversity in your Garden Biodiversity Biodiversity is the diversity of all life, ecologically and genetically. It is the variety of life in genes, species and habitats, the variability among all different living organisms and the role they take in an ecosystem. The biodiversity we see today comes from billions of years of evolution. For all those years animals, birds, fish, plants, fungus and microorganisms worked together to make earth habitable for themselves and each other. Some of the functions biodiversity make possible include producing and decomposing organic matter, controlling pests and erosion, capturing and storing energy, soil fertility, the cycling of water and regulation of climate and atmospheric gasses. Furthermore, biodiversity has a huge economical importance in terms of food resources,
biomedical research, industry, tourism and culture. These services would struggle or collapse without the interplay between all the different plants, animals and other living things. Each insect and each leaf has a part to play in order to keep the wheels of life turning.
Loss of Biodiversity Even though the biodiversity on earth is several billions of years old, rapid changes has occurred over the last thousands of years due to human activities. Humans have hunted thousands of species to extinction, destroyed vast areas of forests and other ecosystems, genetically modified plants and drastically changed the climate with greenhouse gasses. While over 7,000 species of plants have been cultivated for consumption, around 30 crops provide 95% of human food and energy needs.
Biodiversity in Agriculture Therefore monoculture, the planting of one single kind of plant on a big area of land, has become the norm. In monoculture, there is no room for biodiversity, which creates the need for dangerous chemical pesticides and expensive fertilizers. While doing this, people also tend to ignore the many benefits of maintaining biodiversity. For instance, keeping a big variation of species and families in your garden can makes a big difference. Studies have shown that a greater species diversity of plants decreases the number of diseases on
crops and increases the organic matter and nutrients in the soil. Similarly, greater genetic diversity increases overall wood and food production.
Biodiversity Gardening At the Richmond Vale Academy, there is an organic garden, which provides salad, fruit and vegetables on a daily basis.
One of the main gardeners at RVA explains why biodiversity is key when you garden without chemical pesticides and chemical fertilizers:
“The thing about mono cropping is, when you plant the same crop over and over again it will take the exact same nutrients from the soil and it give back the same nutrients when it decomposes. Basically, it depletes the soil of the nutrients as it keeps sucking in the same nutrients over and over again, whereas if you have multi cropping you have plants that take some specific nutrients and leave out others. It keeps the balance of the nutrients and minerals in the soil. Another very good reason to use multi cropping is to avoid pests. Pests tend to specialize in a certain type of plant, so when you mono crop it will infect all your crops instead of just some. A higher diversity in your garden can also attract beneficial insects and help microorganisms in the soil.”
!5
Climate Change in St. Vincent www.TalkGreen.org
Restoring the Cross Country Trail to La Soufrière During 2016 The Forestry Department, The Park Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority along with Richmond Vale Academy and the Global Environment Fund (GEF) will initialize a project that addresses the restoration of the cross country trail to La Soufrière on the Leeward side of St. Vincent.
The project will address the damage on the La Soufrière cross country trail, caused by extreme weather events that have hit St. Vincent such as hurricanes and flooding.
The restoration of trail will include the removal of fallen logs, the building of stairs in difficult areas, the establishment of lookout spots and a midway point, and the positioning of information signs along the trail.
The project will restore the trail from the Leeward side of St. Vincent; this will help for its surrounding areas to be more
ready to handle the effects of extreme weather conditions. The trail will also act as a case study that demonstrates the how to and the benefits of improving local Eco-systems. The goals are also to teach in schools, community groups and to the general public about climate change issues and about the importance of protecting our biodiversity.
The project seeks to invite more tourists to St. Vincent and thus to help develop local livelihoods and communities in connection with it.
The Rose Hall Cultural and Development Organization (RHCDO) recently launched a new hiking tour in the Rose Hall Mountains to further promote eco tourism in St. Vincent.
The trail takes guests through several special sites like The Marma Tunnin, an extended stretch of road that opens after turning a long corner. The area
was used as a "Lovers Lane" on moonlit nights.
The trail passes the Red Hole which is an area with purely red soil which is used for making concrete blocks and for surfacing roads. Furthermore the trail takes guest through historical areas where the very first Garifuna settlements after abolition have been. Many artifacts have been found in this area.
The trail has amazing views in all directions and the RHCDO will present a cultural packages of indigenous culture and refreshments when the trail is fully established. Further plans have been made to put in footpaths, railings, washrooms and a gazeboo.
!7
We Plant Trees
Planting trees has many benefits and we in St. Vincent and the Grenadines know that Trees combat climate change. Excess carbon dioxide (CO2) caused by many factors is a building up in our atmosphere and contributing to climate change. Trees absorb CO2, removing and storing the carbon while releasing the oxygen back into the air. Trees clean the air Trees absorb odors and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone) and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark.
Trees provide oxygen In one year an acre of mature trees
can provide enough oxygen for 18 people.
Trees help prevent water pollution Trees reduce runoff by breaking rainfall thus allowing the water to flow down the trunk and into the earth below the tree. This prevents stormwater from carrying pollutants to the ocean. When mulched, trees act like a sponge that filters this water naturally and uses it to recharge groundwater supplies.
Trees help prevent soil erosion On hillsides or stream slopes, trees slow runoff and hold soil in place.
And trees provide timber and food and much more
That is Why WE PLANT TREES
On a call from the Ministry of Health, Environment and Wellness The Climate Compliance Conference, together with all schools in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and with the support from OECS RRACC Project, Scotia Bank, The Mustique Charitable Trust along with the Ministry of Agriculture and Education in the ENO global competition in tree-planing: Treelympics. For the second year in a row St. Vincent and The Grenadines won the price for the most active tree planting country in the world.
The changing weather patterns that come along with climate change demand for the agricultural sector to adapt to the new factors. The future i s i n o rg a n i c a n d b i o d i v e r s e
Celebrate Earth Day 2016 at Richmond Vale Academy
agriculture, which offers resilience and productivity to our farmers. At Richmond Vale Academy a model is being built for anyone to come and visit and to learn from. Agricultural practitioners are invited for workshops and sessions to learn new climate smart agricultural techniques.
People in North Leeward are joining Gaia Environment Clubs to learn about Climate Change, adaptation efforts and sustainability.
What characterizes the group is Courage. Courage to believe that together we can make a difference to get ready for a future with a changing climate.
EARTH DAY 2016 Richmond Vale Academy
April 30th: 9am - 3pm Open House Workshops Lectures Exhibitions Guided Tours Permaculture Transport Provided in North Leeward
Richmond Vale Academy The St. Vincent Climate Compliance Conference 2012-2021
458 - 2255 info@richmondvale.org