A group of vacationing American environmentalists are studying the conservation techniques at SuperClubs' Grand Negril resort, in order to possibly expand on the thrust and perhaps introduce it to other Caribbean resorts.
The visiting group wants to create an awareness in Jamaica and across the Caribbean of the global dangers of maltreating the environment, and they are hailing Grand Lido Negril's efforts.
Group co-coordinator, Joni Clayton, has been visiting the island as part of a group of over 800 international fan members of the Los Angeles-based Little Feat jazz, blues, rock and country seven-member aggregation, who recently booked out the entire resort for 10 days.
Mrs. Clayton and her husband, Little Feat's original percussionist, Sam Clayton, are heavily involved with The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in the United States. This is an organisation created to assist the federally managed National Marine Sanctuary Program with education and outreach efforts designed to preserve, protect and promote meaningful opportunities for public interaction with global marine sanctuaries.
Although they are disappointed that the plastic recycling company of Jamaica has been closed for over a year, the couple was pleased to note that Grand Lido Negril has been doing so much to be nature-aware.
Overall in Jamaica, however, the Claytons say they would like to see proper disposal of such things as plastic water bottles and plastic cups - rather than those and other items being discarded in landfills and/or the sea.
No compensation
"We have been volunteering our time to this study, with no compensation, because it is a life-long passion of ours, and we would like to share the ocean and the planet's wildlife with our grandchildren," Mrs. Clayton said. "Global issues are overwhelming and we, society in general, must not give up on things such as energy conservation, because then it becomes habitual with the younger generations."
Mrs. Clayton said she has observed Jamaicans burning garbage, and would like the local public to be more conscious of hazardous pollutants filling the air. She said she would also like to see more garbage-collecting facilities along Negril's famed seven-mile beach, because this would most definitely help to prevent rain or high tides washing rubbish into the sea - a situation that in turn helps to kill sea life.