April 22, 2009 — The future walked down the main street of St. Croix Wednesday, calling for the present to stop making a mess on what will soon be its island.
More than 200 students used the international observance of Earth Day to take part in the second annual Litter Stomp, a march to bring attention to the litter that lines many St. Croix roadways.
"This is a great island and people who litter are turning it ugly," said Duncan Coles, a 12-year-old student from Good Hope School.
He was one of a group of sixth graders from four different schools that took part Wednesday in the stomp. Also represented were Alexander Henderson, Juanita Gardine and Claude O. Markoe elementary schools. Rallying at mid-morning at the Williams Delight office of the V.I. Waste Management Authority, the students formed a long line and followed emergency vehicles that escorted them down Centerline Road, chanting and singing and waving homemade posters calling on people to stop littering. They marched to the St. George Botanical Garden, where the annual Eco-Fair is taking place.
The purpose of the march is to raise students' awareness of the negative impact of littering on their island home, the environment and the planet. And from talking to the students as they gathered at the VIWMA office, it was clear that they got the message and were eager to share it.
Deja Nickie, 11, from Claude O. Markoe School, said Wednesday's event was more than just a chance to get out of the classroom. It was a chance to celebrate Earth Day and to pass the word. And the word was, "Keep our island clean."
St. Croix is a beautiful island, the kids agreed, but the ever-present litter lining the roadways takes away from that, and the kids marching Wednesday wanted to bring that to the attention of the adults driving by.
"Stop the littering," said Khalid Copemann, 11, from Alexander Henderson School. "The pollution of the earth will only make it worse."
The marchers were escorted by members of the V.I. Police Department, Fire Service, and Emergency Medical Services, along with VIWMA personnel.
Traffic going in both directions was slowed by the passage of the parade, occupying the north side of the Centerline Road, also known as Queen Mary Highway. Perhaps that gave the drivers and their passengers more time to hear the chants, read the signs and get the message.
But if they didn't, they should be aware that today's kids, who will be tomorrow's adults, are watching them in judgment. As Deja Nickie said, "Bad people don't care about the island."
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