Sandals 'Ochi' launches clean-up campaign

Sandals Ocho Rios Resort & Golf Club has awarded team members for their assistance in the initiation of the resort's environmental programme. The team members were recognised at a function held to start activities for Environmental Week at the resort. Here Michael Darby (right), general manager poses with some of them. - Contributed

SANDALS OCHO Rios Resort and Golf Club will be undertaking a comprehensive clean-up of the Mammee Bay Beach in St. Ann as its main project for World Environment Week, which began last Friday.

Other major events slated for the week include tree planting by guests, sensitising students of the Brown's Town Community College on environmental matters and a special presentation by "Friends of the Sea" on the need to care and protect the Ocho Rios Marine Park.

Underscoring the importance of protecting the environment and educating staff and the public the resort's environmental officer, David Smith, said the week's events will focus on community involvement and increasing the awareness of staff, guests and members of the public on ways of protecting the environment.

According to a news release, Mr. Smith said the hotel was serious about its commitment to the environment by instituting a number of projects including the creation of a compost site, recycling plastic, shredding paper and changing its water heating system.

The main Mammee Bay Beach clean-up will take place on Friday, June 7, while Miss Kathy Byles of "Friends of the Sea" will make a presentation at the hotel on Tuesday, June 5, on the need to care and protect the Ocho Rios Marine Park.

The release said five special couples will also be chosen from the hotel to plant trees and their names will be placed beside the trees.

Sandals Ocho Rios Resort and Golf Club kicked off World Environment Week last Friday with an "Earth Day Party" at which awards were presented to team members who have contributed to the hotel's effort to be "Green Globe" certified by November, this year.

General manager Michael Darby, speaking at the function, said many people were not taking the environment as serious as they should and pointed to the worsening weather patterns worldwide, pollution of rivers, streams and the ocean, as indicators of the growing problem.

Mr. Darby urged members of the community to play a more active role in protecting the environment in their respective areas as in the long run it was they who stood to benefit the most from such actions.

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