fp Turks and Caicos

For the second year, the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association is making sure the country shines on Earth Day on Thursday, April 22.

While the world celebrates the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, members of the TCHTA, staff and community supporters will hit the streets to help clean up the roads around Providenciales in aid of the “TCI Shines” campaign.

Earth Day is traditionally celebrated as a day to honour mother earth. In the TCI, where nature is especially beautiful, the TCHTA is organizing an environmental clean-up day to ensure the country stays that way. The TCHTA is appealing to its members to volunteer staff and combine forces to work together to form cleanup crews.

Starting at 6 a.m. at the Children’s Park in the Lower Bight, teams will be assigned to the various target areas around Grace Bay Road, Lower Bright, Leeward Highway and Millennium Highway. Afterward, the clean-up all teams return to the Children’s Park at 11:30 a.m. for a brief presentation and lunch.

Earth Day was founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. The Earth Day Network has a global reach with a network of more than 17,000 partners and organizations in 174 countries. More than 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities, making it the largest secular civic event in the world.

Last year’s TCI Shines Earth Day clean up efforts resulted in almost 700 bags of litter being collected around Providenciales, where more than 150 hotel employees, school children, local businesses and members of the community, were involved in the successful cleanup day. In fact, it was so successful that a second day was organized in early December at the start of the busy Christmas season.

Karen Whitt, president of the TCHTA who spearheaded the campaign, said the cleanup program aims to educate and energize the population to take action to secure a healthy future for the TCI and its children.

“It was awe-inspiring to see the committed volunteers continue to support this important campaign, especially during the tourism industry’s busy season,” Whitt said.

For the TCHTA, these efforts were only the beginning, and they are looking forward to another successful cleanup during Thursday’s Earth Day campaign.

“It is vital that we keep up the momentum and continue to come together to do everything that is possible to maintain the islands’ reputation as an unspoiled piece of paradise, ” Whitt said.

Members and Allied Members can be involved by contacting the TCHTA at 649-941-5787 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to confirm how many members of staff can participate and how their organizations can support or donate to the cause.