As the world observes United Nations World Wildlife Day today, a youth-led environmental initiative in Antigua and Barbuda is gaining recognition for its innovative approach to mangrove conservation and education.
Esquire Henry, a CARICOM Youth Ambassador, has developed the Wetlands and Coastlines Assessment and Management Program (WAMP), which takes students aged nine to 16 into mangrove ecosystems for hands-on learning experiences.
Henry, who has served as Youth Ambassador for approximately two years, says “Climate action has always been something that I was passionate about.”
“I have been working on different climate initiatives for some time now, but I primarily focused on conducting activities such as beach cleanups and some minor educational programs. I wanted to develop a way to expand beyond simply organizing beach cleanups,” he said.
After consulting with environmental stakeholders, Henry identified a critical gap in public awareness about mangrove ecosystems.
He explained that mangroves are vital to our society.
“They protect our shoreline and the country from hurricanes and storms, serving as that first barrier. “Sometimes it comes to a point where we don’t even identify or are unable to tell the difference between a mangrove and a beach shoreline,” the CARICOM Youth Ambassador said.
WAMP addresses this knowledge gap by providing students with immersive field experiences in mangrove habitats. The program received grant funding from the CARICOM Secretariat’s Climate Change and Health Program, with additional support from organizations including PAHO and the EU.
One of the program’s most successful field trips took place at McKinnon’s Pond, where Henry witnessed extraordinary growth in student knowledge.
“At the start of the field trip, the students knew very little. But at the end, when the students started to recite the different types of mangroves to me and show me the difference between the leaves and the difference in buttonwood and the white mangroves, I was so excited. That really stood out to me because it shows that the students were actually engaged and learning,” he recalled.
The program extends beyond field trips, empowering students to develop their own conservation projects.
“Students themselves have the opportunity to create projects to protect mangroves, wetlands and coastlines. We are prepared to support at least three projects by providing them some seed funding,” he noted.
Engaging students across different age groups presented challenges, but creative approaches proved effective.
“One of the activities was bird watching. They were very excited to hold the binoculars and see the different types of birds and identify them in the mangroves,” Henry said.
The program also faced logistical hurdles.
“One of the major challenges that we faced was contacting the schools that we wanted to participate. We quickly shifted to in-person meetings, actually going directly to the schools to have conversations and calling different teachers and stakeholders via phone,” Henry said.
Looking forward, he envisions expanding WAMP throughout the Caribbean.
“Mangroves are present across the majority of our CARICOM islands, if not all. So, it’s a program that can easily be implemented across the region,” he said
As World Wildlife Day focuses global attention on conservation, WAMP exemplifies how youth leadership and education can drive meaningful environmental action at the local level while protecting crucial wildlife habitats.
“Without receiving the grant funding from these organizations, I don’t think we’d have been in a position to fully expand or establish WAMP in the way that we have been able to. This is why it’s important for stakeholders to continue to support young people,” Henry concludes.
