A scavenger hunt held to introduce the newly formed Environmental Consultants Foundation (EMC) Foundation saw more than forty young people converge at the Botanical Gardens last Sunday morning amidst heavy downpours, to find clues hidden within the gardens.
The Foundation, established by Shyam Nokta, winner of the 2022 Anthony N Sabga Award for Entrepreneurship, aims to support environmental awareness and education in Guyana by promoting activities which encourage greater understanding of the environment, create a network to connect like-minded people and provide opportunities to experience Guyana’s rich natural environment.
The University of Guyana’s Biology club completed the hunt in the fastest time and was awarded the first prize, while the Eco-Trust Society and the Caribbean Youth Environmental Network gained second and third places, respectively.
Zoya Samaroo and Deopaul Somwaru, who coordinated the event and are members of the Foundation, said they were thrilled with the turnout and were excited by the enthusiasm shown by the participants. According to Somwaru, “Young people are agents of change and can play an active role in fostering greater appreciation and understanding of the beauty and fragility of our environment and the importance of protecting it through continuous awareness and education. The Botanical Gardens was the perfect venue for the event as it helped raise awareness of important historical landmarks within the Gardens as well as our natural heritage.”
In brief comments, Nokta said, “The focus of the Foundation is to provide opportunities, especially for young people, to interact with nature and the environment so that they can develop greater awareness, appreciation and love for Guyana’s ecosystems and biodiversity and be inspired to protect them.”
The scavenger hunt is the first of several events planned to take place over the next few months in the lead up to the official launch of the Foundation slated for later this year.
