Series of activities planned for Earth Hour

As the world looks toward the 10th edition of Earth Hour on March 25, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Guianas – Guyana Office, along with partnering organizations, will join individuals and businesses to shine a light on climate action and signal a commitment to change climate change.

Famously started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become a worldwide grassroots movement organised by WWF, aimed at uniting people to protect the planet.

Having been onboard for the past three years, Guyana, through WWFGuyana and other partners, has in the past pulled off numerous activities in the weeks leading up to March 25.

This year being no different, WWF-Guyana has partnered with several organizations to facilitate a wide range of activities focusing on three themes: Agriculture, Renewable Energy, Conservation and Biodiversity, in recognition of Earth Hour 2017.

According to Country Manager of WWF-Guyana Aiesha Williams, who spoke at the official launch on Friday evening, the activities have been planned with the hope of raising awareness of climate change. The embassies of Brazil, Canada, United States, and Mexico have committed to participating in the observances by facilitating a series of environment themed events.

These include: an evening of French culture and music organized by the High Commission of Canada titled, “Fête de la Francophonie” which will be held on March 18 at 7.30 pm at Giftland Mall; the screening of Xingu by Cao Hamburger, at the Brazil-Guyana Cultural Centre on Church Street at 7.15 pm on March 15; and the screening of Sunú by Teresa Camou Guerrero, at the Mexican Embassy on Brickdam at 6.30 pm on March 21.

The US Embassy will play its part with an internal event to be held on March 25, at the homes of all embassy personnel. It will be an awareness campaign in which participants will turn off the electricity in their homes in recognition of Earth Hour.

Marriott Hotel Georgetown will also join WWF Guyana for Earth Hour, turning off the lights of its sign on March 25 from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm.

To raise awareness among school children, WWF Guyana, with assistance from several of its partners, has planned a Secondary School Debate Competition which will engage four secondary schools in a two preliminary rounds on topics that cover the three thematic areas of Earth Hour followed by the final, which is scheduled for March 23, as well as climate change awareness school sessions across Georgetown, Linden and Berbice. The sessions will include a look at the impact of climate change on Guyana and how young persons can join the fight to mitigate it.

Others like the recycled art activity, organized by Canadian University Students Overseas (CUSO) International will target 4050 youth at the Kuru Kuru Training Centre, LindenSoesdyke Highway, and feature presentations by WWF Guyana, the Guyana Energy Authority, Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) Guyana and CUSO International on March 22.

The Rotaract Club of Georgetown will host its inaugural Rotaract Recycle Fair, an event that will feature the collection of items such as clothes, school supplies, toys, books and household items for redistribution to the less fortunate. This is expected to take place on March 25, from 8 am to 5 pm at the Parade Ground in Georgetown.

But activities are not restricted to the city. The Bina Hill Institute, Annai Central and Rupertee Group of the North Rupununi have organized, “Storytelling under the Stars in the Rupununi,” on March 25, which features an hour of traditional storytelling, in the form of narration, skits and dances, around a traditional fire, using local lighting sources (plant exudates, shells etc).

Over at the Iwokrama River Lodge, guests will be treated to a special candle lit dinner, devoid of artificial lights on March 25.

The main event will be a Light’s Out concert and entertainment show which is scheduled to take place at the National Park from 7.30 pm on March 25.

The night will see the switching off of non-essential lights from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm, cultural pieces, presentations from partnering organizations, environmental pledges by the national and international communities and the symbolic lighting of the 60+ emblem.

All activities have been undertaken with assistance from the CYEN Guyana, which has been a major partner in hosting the annual event, as well as others organizations such as the Office of Climate Change, Eco-Trust Society (Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Guyana) and Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development among others. For more information on Earth Hour in Guyana, interested persons are encouraged to visit the event’s page on Facebook (Earth Hour in Guyana: http://bit.ly/EarthHourInG uyana) or WWF Guianas official Facebook fan page www.facebook.com/WWF Guianas.org. Contact can also be made with Francesca Masoero, Communications Officer of WWF Guyana fmasoero@wwf.gy – 2237801/2.