Celebrating both the World Water Day and the International Day of Forests, twenty-five students and three teachers of the Anse La Raye Primary School in Saint Lucia took a field trip to the Troumassée River, the island’s longest river, and the Makote Mangrove Forest, thanks to the FAO ACP MEAs 3 programme.

The students and their teachers learnt about the entire river system, from the headwaters in the central mountain to its end along the coast – from ridge to reef. Facilitated by the Forestry Department, the activity aimed to strengthen the students understanding of their water sources and systems. The young crowd interacted with the various ecosystem components and observed the entirety and interconnected nature of the island’s environments. They also visited an area of mangrove dieback and discussed some of the detrimental upstream activities which contributed to it, recognizing both nature´s resilience and vulnerability in the face of human activity.

Magdalin Jerson, Public Education Officer, stated “We thought it imperative that the students experience first-hand the result of all practices along a river, good and bad. As we spoke about the composition of the soils, experienced the pollution and the die-back, the message was taken home that no matter where they live or at what point of their lives they are in, they have a responsibility to ensure and preserve the health of our rivers and ecosystems”.

By the end of the field visit, the students identified: deforestation, solid waste pollution and chemical pollution from agricultural activities as areas of concern in their community. They committed to protect the Anse La Raye rivers for future generations.

Leshan Monrose, ACP MEAs 3 National Project Coordinator, emphasizes “Saint Lucia’s rivers are an essential component of its natural and cultural landscape given the island’s small size and unique environmental characteristics. They provide a wide range of ecosystem services including supporting biodiversity, water supply, flood regulation, climate regulation, nutrient cycling, food and nutrition security, and recreational opportunities. These critical contributions to livelihoods and island resilience are however not quantified and often overlooked. Considering the island’s rivers face increasing threats from human activity and climate change, youth engagement and capacity building are essential to the conservation effort. It opens the door to meaningful and long-term behavioral changes towards healthier ecosystems.”

The field trip organized by FAO underlines the importance of experiential learning in fostering environmental stewardship among youth. By immersing students in the intricacies of their local water systems, initiatives like these empower future generations to become proactive agents of change in safeguarding the natural resources that sustain life on our planet.