BREEF is proud to announce St Anne’s School student, Schemia Major as the winner of the 2021 Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) National Competition. Her winning photo entry titled “Who said a Kalik bottle couldn’t be a plant pot?” offers creative thinking to combat pollution and waste by reducing and reusing items that would otherwise be discarded and turning them into something purposeful. Schemia will receive a brand-new GoPro HD camera gifted by BREEF to support her future in environmental reporting. She will now represent The Bahamas in the 2022 Foundation of Environmental Education (FEE) international YRE competition.
When asked what motivates you to protect nature? Ms. Major replied, “I would like to preserve the planet not only for future generations but for me to live in right now. This is my home, my environment, the place in which I live and I think that protecting and conserving it should be a priority of my everyday life. Protecting nature also gives me the opportunity to show others to do the same and try and educate them while doing so.”
BREEF congratulates all YRE participants for submitting their articles and photos, generating some tough competition. Entries focused on various real-time issues such as food security in The Bahamas, single-use plastics, and pollution. Amy Dickson, age 13, Windsor School, New Providence won second place for her photo entry focused on biodiversity loss. Finley McKinney-Lambert, age 11, Deep Creek Middle School, Eleuthera ranked in third place with his photo entry calling attention to marine debris and the continual harm it causes to our precious coral reefs.
“I was impressed with the variety of competition entries that were submitted from all over the archipelago, and reflected the wide range of environmental issues that our young people are concerned about. Young people are giving the natural world around them a voice and are inspiring others to get involved”, stated BREEF YRE Coordinator, Allison Longley.
The YRE Programme aims to empower students aged 11-25 to take a stand on environmental issues they feel strongly about. It gives them a platform to call attention to these issues through writing, photography, or video. There are more than 350,000 young reporters in 45 countries across the world.
BREEF is the National Operator for the Young Reporters for the Environment Programme which is supported by the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme. To learn more about the Young Reporters for the Environment programme and how you can get involved, please visit www.breef.org.
Post a comment