NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Young Reporters for the Environment students (YRE) in The Bahamas and the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) have gained international recognition for their initiative on climate action and approach to combating plastic pollution.
Students from the YRE shared the importance of advocating for marine environments in a recent UNDP article called, “Turning the tide, How local NGOs in Seychelles and the Bahamas are working to raise awareness and inspire action to address marine plastic pollution”.
According to a press release from BREEF, the YRE programme aims to “empower students aged 11-25 to take a stand on environmental issues they feel strongly about and give them a platform to call attention to these issues through the media of writing, photography, or video”.
The organization claims that there are more than 350,000 young reporters in 45 countries across the world.
BREEF started implementing the YRE programme in 2019, making The Bahamas the first country in the Caribbean to offer the programme. Since then, students from all over the archipelago have participated in journalism and photography workshops, and snorkel field trips led by BREEF to the mangrove and coral reefs. Members have also participated annually in the “Young Reporters for the Environment National Competition” submitting entries on local and global environmental issues.
One such participant, Kaitlyn Archer, shared why marine advocacy is so important to her.
“What motivates my friends and me to protect nature is sustaining it for future generations. Nature is often neglected by human beings in today’s world and now its survival is becoming such a vital aspect of life. We have to protect it,” Archer said.
Kaitlyn and her peers are participating in a youth-focused project with The Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) aimed at increasing knowledge about marine ecosystems and the threats they face, including plastic pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change.
The project was initially funded by the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program (SGP). Lombard Odier & Cie (Bahamas) Ltd is a key sponsor of the rapidly-growing programme.
“YRE is an amazing programme because it allows young people to utilize social media in an impactful way, expressing their concerns about the environment and proposing solutions,” said Allison Longley, who is the national operator for YRE in The Bahamas.
“YRE teaches our youth how to communicate effectively by utilizing a cutting-edge approach to disseminate news.”
