This is the second year that Caribbean SEA’s environmental clubs have participated in science fairs.

Four school clubs submitted a total of seven (7) projects to district science fairs. Three (3) were chosen to compete at the 2016 National Science & Technology Fair which was held 16-18 March and one won the top prize.

Camille Henry presented two projects at the District 2 Science Fair. Their all natural hibiscus shampoo with coconut and aloe won 3rd place.  The Simply Natural Lucian Incense, an insect repellent made using our regionally endemic Lansans Tree won 1st place at the district fair.

Soufriere Primary School also submitted two projects at the District 8 Science Fair. The No Bite Mosquito Net is a modification of existing mosquito nets to reduce the incidence of getting mosquito bites when restless sleepers roll and rest on the net.  Their second project was a simple design of a flood alarm that can be built in the Soufriere River at a very low cost. The Flood Alarm won 1st place at the district fair.

Students from the Les Etangs Combined School made an authentic moisturizing and exfoliating soap using white and black mineral mud from the Sulphur Springs which won 3rd place at the district fair.

Vieux-Fort Primary School presented two projects at the District 6 Science Fair: JD Washer designed and built by a student, is a manual washing machine made from recycled materials including a used 5 gallon bucket and parts of a discarded electric fan. This washing machine actually works and sounds just like an automatic machine.

Their second project entitled Papillon Sent Lucie is their attempt to collect butterfly specimens to create the first complete collection of butterflies found in Saint Lucia. One teacher at the school created a website http://stlucianbutterflies.webs.com which is still under construction but will have pictures of pinned specimens and live butterflies when completed. Papillon Sent Lucie won the District 6 Science Fair.

Simply Natural Lucian Incense insect repellent won 6th place in the coconut category.  This project along with the Sulphur Springs Mineral Mud Soap were selected to be displayed at the Manufacturers Association and at the Ministry of Agriculture in a few weeks.

Our Program Director also assisted the Soufriere Special Education & Rehabilitation Centre present their Saint Lucia Puzzle, a map with the districts as puzzle pieces.  This was the first time a special education school participated at the National Science fair and the puzzle project won 1st place in their division.

Papillon Sent Lucie emerged overall winner of the Best Project at the 2016 National Science & Technology Fair among all infant, primary, secondary schools and A-Level.

Nadia Cazaubon, Programme Director said “all the club members who presented their projects did remarkably well at their district science fairs and at the National Science Fair. We are immensely proud of the budding scientists in our clubs and all the hard work they put into those projects.  Of course, I am ecstatic that Papillon Sent Lucie won.  We will use this victory to bring attention to the decline in our insect biodiversity in Saint Lucia.”

Caribbean Student Environmental Alliance Inc., a non-profit company in Saint Lucia, facilitates environmental clubs at five (5) primary schools: Camille Henry Memorial School, Soufriere Primary School, Fond St. Jacques RC Combined School, Les Etangs Combined School and Vieux-Fort Primary School. Students get to learn about our plants and animals and go out on field trips. Last academic year, the focus was on endemic birds, snakes and lizards. This year students have learned about insects and next term will learn about plants/trees in Saint Lucia.