NHMJ Earth Day 2021 Competition

Earth Day Nature Vibes

RESTORE
OUR

EARTH

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF JAMAICA | 10-16 EAST STREET, KINGSTON,
JAMAICA | (876) 922-0620-6 | [email protected] | WWW.NHMJ-IOJ.ORG.JM/

this is your call to action

"RESTORE OUR EARTH"

COMPETITION GENERAL INFORMATION

THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF JAMAICA, A DIVISION OF THE INSTITUTE OF
JAMAICA HOSTS ITS ANNUAL EARTH DAY COMPETITION EACH YEAR TO
COMMEMORATE EARTH DAY ON APRIL 22. THE COMPETITION IS GEARED TOWARDS
STUDENTS FROM AGES 12-19 YEARS. THIS YEAR THERE WERE FOUR CATEGORIES.
THESE INCLUDED, THE: POSTER CATEGORY, PHOTOGRAPH CATEGORY, POETRY
CATEGORY AND A VIDEO CATEGORY, WHICH WAS AN OPEN CATEGORY. THE TOP
WINNERS OF THE COMPETITION WERE ALSO GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE
INTERVIEWD ON THE TALK UP YOUT! PROGRAMME ON NATION WIDE 90 FM ON
SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 ARRANGED BY MISS DEMETRIOUS ROBE.

POETRY CATEGORY
Participants were given the opportunity to submit a poem that was written based
on the theme: "STAND UP. SPEAK UP. SHOW UP!" A total of fifteen (15) entries were
received for this Category.

POSTER CATEGORY
Each participant designed an image that was related to the theme: "HEALTHY
EARTH GIVES A HEALTHY LIFE". A total of six (6) posters were received.

PHOTOGRAPHY CATEGORY
Participants submitted photographs measuring 8 inches x 10 inches (20 cm x  25
cm) in sizes that depicted the theme: "NURTURE NATURE".  A total of eight (8)
entries were received.

OPEN CATEGORY: VIDEO
This category challenged the entrants to submit a 1-minute video featuring the
personified environment in its peril and it's attempt to get humanity's attention to
do something to arrest the stop of continued deprivation. One (1) video was
received for this open category.

NOTE:
Only entries that have met the requisite qualifications of the competition and have been
approved by the panel of judges will be featured in this newsletter.

The IOJ Earth Day 2021 Competition
Poster Category




"HEALTHY
EARTH GIVES A
HEALTHY LIFE"

SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN!!!
DEADLINE: Monday, March 1, 2021

this is your call to actionFor supporting documents and entry guidelines, call us at
1-876-922-0620-6 ext 352 or 247
email us at [email protected]
Here's a chance to win cash, scholarships, books, trophies, day passes and much, much, more!

Poster Category

"Healthy World, Better "Healthy Earth Gives A
Life" Healthy Life"
Janeil Norman
Akili Powell
The Cedar Grove Academy St. Andrews High School
for Girls

"Earth Restoration,
Putting the Pieces Back

Together"
Brittania Beckford
The Cedar Grove Academy

"Do's and Don'ts for a "Charging Earth Back to
Healthy Earth" Life"
Joel Lyn
Tray-Ann Mendez
York Castle High School The Cedar Grove Academy

"Healthy World, Better Life"
Akili Powell, The Cedar Grove Academy

"Earth Restoration, Putting the Pieces Back Together"
Brittania Beckford, The Cedar Grove Academy

"Healthy Earth Gives A Healthy Life"
Joel Lyn, York Castle High School

The IOJ Earth Day 2021 Competition
Photography Category




"NURTURE
NATURE"

SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN!!!
DEADLINE: Monday, March 1, 2021

this is your call to actionFor supporting documents and entry guidelines, call us at
1-876-922-0620-6 ext 352 or 247
email us at [email protected]
Here's a chance to win cash, scholarships, books, trophies, day passes and much, much, more!

Photograph Category

"The Fish Farm" "How to Nurture "Palisadoes Mangrove
Lauren Chuck Nature" Project 1"
Joel Lyn
St Andrew High for Girls Lauren Chuck
York Castle High School St Andrew High for Girls

"Cradled"
Joanna Powers
St Andrew High for Girls

"The Beekeepers" "Palisadoes Mangrove "Cherry Beam"
Lauren Chuck Project 2" Davea Wedderburn
St Andrew High for Girls
St Andrew High for Girls Lauren Chuck
St Andrew High for Girls

"Cherry Beam"
Davea Wedderburn
St Andrew High School for Girls

"Our fruits are shining despite adverse
weather conditions and being mistreated. It

puts on makeup, gets ready, and shines
through it but it doesn't do that alone, it is
being nurtured by persons who truly care"

"Cradled"
Joanna Powers
St Andrew High School for Girls

"Like a baby swaddled and gently held, a python pokes its
head from between its protective coils.

Hope Zoo offers an interactive programme allowing
visitors to touch and hold snakes, and they help to educate

the public that there is no need to fear or kill the snakes
found in Jamaica, as these are all non-venomous, so they
pose no danger to people and deserve to be protected"

"How to Nurture Nature"
Joel Lyn, York Castle High School

"This photograph clearly depicts how exactly we can nurture nature.
Its warm-yellow vignette theme with a slight silhouette shows a
seedling being molded and watered, whilst at the same time one

plants a new seed. The objects in this photograph are directly and
precisely in sync with subject of its content as it shows how nature is
to be nurtured through afforestation and continued care for plants.




(the photograph was taken in the night against an induced white
background {a white cartridge paper was used}. It was used to remove
background distractions and highlight the main objects on the photo.

Also the a fill light was use to create the warm-yellow colour in/ on
throughout the background)"

"The Fish Farm"
Lauren Chuck

St Andrew High School for Girls

Picture showing the inside of a fish farm and
nursery combination. The owner of this fish farm
decided that instead of having the empty spaces in
the fish farm it could be lined with plants instead.
This has developed into a mini nursery, which not
only keeps the air in and around his farm clean as
well as shows an excellent example of how empty

spaces could be used to benefit nature

The IOJ Earth Day 2021 Competition
Poetry Category




"STAND UP.
SPEAK UP.
SHOW UP!"

SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN!!!

this is your call to actionDEADLINE: Monday, March 1, 2021
For supporting documents and entry guidelines, call us at
1-876-922-0620-6 ext 352 or 247
email us at [email protected]
Here's a chance to win cash, scholarships, books, trophies, day passes and much, much, more!

Poetry Preview

More Poetry Preview



Shadelle Brown, St. Andrew High School for Girls

Chorus Dont shut yuh mouth, get bold and stout
Stand up, mi seh, Speak up, Wi need fi make a difference before there’s
Show up, come on, Heads up
A full-full time now that wi Make up drought!
For all the things wi do fi mek the earth Messed Up! Preach and teach, clean up the beach
Do everything you can do fi beseech

Cause – together we can restore the earth
Get a fresh start, we want a New Birth!
Right now Mother Earth need restoration Wi on a mission and wi not gwoin revert
For all the things wi do to her like pollution I Pledge – from pollution wi a go convert
Wi duty up the sea wata plus the air and land


Then cock-10 fi relaxtion
Imagine – right beside us there’s a bin Chorus (final)
But pan the grong we thro it - owe what a sin So hear mi no - Stand up - Speak up,
A no good ting doing – wi just need fi stop,
Show up, come on, Heads up
change and turn from within A full-full time now that wi Make up
For all the things wi do fi mek the earth Messed


Up!
Chorus
Stand up, mi seh, Speak up,

Show up, come on, Heads up
A full-full time now that wi Make up Stand up, mi seh, Speak up,
For all the things wi do fi mek the earth Messed Up! Show up, come on, Heads up
A full-full time now that wi Make up

For all the things wi do fi mek the earth Messed

A brother a practice deforestation Up!
This a fi you duty – you better go correct the man

Mek him know seh him a destroy wifi nation
If him continue cut don and deplete the land
Global warming – not to mention, that melt ice

Sea water rise – then house flood out
Wi need fi be wise – so guess wha?




Chorus
Stand up, mi seh, Speak up,
Show up, come on, Heads up
A full-full time now that wi Make up
For all the things wi do fi mek the earth Messed Up



Monique Curtis
Manager, Ecosystems Management Branch
National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA)




It is timely that this theme should be at the forefront of our minds even here in Jamaica. Over
the next couple of months, countries across the world, though unable to meet face to face, will
be meeting virtually to discuss global commitments to restore our earth.

Recently our Prime Minister, the Honourable Andrew Holness, emphasized the need for
meaningful climate action in his message for Earth Day. It has long been understood that
human activity contributes to environmental degradation. We see some of these negative
impacts in our daily lives: deforestation, biodiversity loss and plastic and water pollution. There
are also other effects that may be less obvious to us such as global warming, air pollution,
ocean acidification and coral bleaching.

Jamaica, as a small Island Developing State, falls within a category of the countries that are
exposed to social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities. Our ability to respond to these
vulnerabilities are highly dependent on how well we safeguard or natural resources; these
natural resources that contribute to our economic well-being also play a role in our recovery
from environmental shocks caused by intense natural disasters and climate change.

It is on this basis that member countries of various international agreements such as the
Convention on Biological Diversity and the Paris Agreement continue to emphasize that it is
imperative for countries to sign on to global commitments to protect and restore our
environment. The United Nations has already declared the period 2021-2030 as the UN Decade
on Ecosystem Restoration. This global movement aims to end poverty, hungry, malnutrition,
gender inequality and degradation of ecosystems by harnessing the power of nature and local
communities.

As we press towards achieving these goals, the power of local communities cannot be
overestimated. Everyone plays a role in the restoration of our environment. Every contribution
matters! Additionally, the behaviour you display while with your family, friends, community
members and everywhere you go throughout your life can influence change and encourage
those around you to take action that helps to protect our environment.

.

What Can Be Done?
It is possible that your guys have heard about the plastic ban. Most
persons are consumers of products packaged in plastics and should
be aware of the threat plastics pose when improperly discarded on
the roads and in gullies and rivers. Apart from being unsightly, the
growing amount of marine litter on the beaches and along
coastlines negatively impacts the ecosystems, biodiversity and the
ability to enjoy the beaches and potentially human's health.

I

It is long been understood that human activity contributes to environmental degradation. We
see some of these negative impacts in our daily lives: deforestation, biodiversity loss and plastic
and water pollution. There are also other effects that may be less obvious to us such as global
warming, sir pollution, ocean acidification and coral bleaching.

Jamaica as a Small Island Developing State, falls within a category of countries that are exposed
to social, economic and environmental abilities. Our abilities to respond to these vulnerabilities
are highly dependent on how well we safeguard our natural resources; these natural resources
that contributes to our economic well-being also play a role in our recovery from environmental
shocks caused by intense natural disasters and climate change.

What Can You Do?
You and I should make all the necessary effort to follow the four R's- Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and
Recycle.

Refuse plastic bags, utensils and other plastic items when offered to you.
Reduce the amount of plastic packaged products you use daily.
Repurposing plastic container by using them in your garden or for artwork. Invest in
reusable water bottle.
Recycle your plastic bottles. Encourage your school to designate separate bins for plastic
bottles and to contact Recycling Partner of Jamaica to arrange for collection.

International coastal clean-up day, world wetlands day and the national tree planting day
activities as well as the adopt-a-beach programme are all built on the concept of public
participation. these activities are all designed for you to get involved in restoring your beaches
and your communities which contributes to the restoration of your natural environment. Here
are some ideas to help restore our earth:

Support the plastic ban.
Sign up for NEPA's Adopt-a-beach programme and commit to participate in beach clean-ups
on a specific stretch of coastline throughout the year.
Join the Forestry Department's three million trees drive by planting a tree.
Conserve water.
Use less paper, go digital.
Disposed of garbage properly.
Conserve electricity. Turn off when leaving a room.

Damion Whyte Dale Bedasse, Ministry of Damian Shirley, Tourism Product
Urban Development Corporation Education, Youth and Development Company Ltd
Information


Cleon Golding Eleanor Terrelonge, Jamaica Climate Emma Lewis, Natural History Museum
Institute of Jamaica
Change Youth Council of Jamaica Board

Alexis McDavid Kavelle Hylton
National Museum Jamaica Scientific Research Council

Emma Lewis
Board Member, Natural History Museum of Jamaica

We have a great Earth Day champion and creative in
Joel Lyn, of York Castle High School! His dub poetry
was compelling, his photography entry perfectly
reflected the theme of nurturing nature, and his
poster was colorful and detailed. Well done, Joel!
Let’s continue to offer our youth as many platforms
as possible, on and offline, for their voices to be
heard on the environment and climate change.
I firmly believe that these cultural expressions can
convey important messages to other young people
and to the general public. Communication and
understanding are critical as we go forward in these
uncertain and challenging times.

Antonio Wint
St. Catherine Parish Youth Council President

Earth Day Ceremony Co-Host

Demetrious Robe
Miss Earth Jamaica Water 2020
Earth Day Ceremony Co-host

Monique Curtis
National Environment & Planning Agency

Earth Day Guest Speaker

Special Thank you to our
Earth Day 2021 Sponsors

Produced by:



The Education Department
Natural History Museum of Jamaica

Institute of Jamaica
August, 2021



Featured Articles:



Monique Curtis,
Ecosystems Management Branch Manager, National Environment &

Planning Agency



Emma Lewis
Board Member, Natural History Museum of Jamaica



Contributions from Student Entries of the

2021 Earth Day Competition



Editors & Graphic Designs:



Kareen Parks, Assistant Education Outreach Officer, NHMJ



Teona Thomas, Museum Programme Officer, NHMJ



Eartha Cole, Education Outreach Officer, NHMJ