UNITED STATES Ambassador to Guyana,  D  Brent Hardt and his wife, Saskia Hardt yesterday visited the Enterprise Primary School, Lodge, Georgetown, where they had an interactive session with pupils on environmental awareness under the

‘Guyana Shines’ project.
It is the second phase of the school visits since ‘Guyana Shines’ was launched in early 2013. The goal is to reach 50 primary and secondary schools in Georgetown by Earth Day, April 22.
The U.S. embassy also recently held its volunteer training session at the Georgetown Club where citizens were enlightened about the project in which they could get their communities involved.
At Enterprise Primary School, Head Teacher Faye Williams expressed gratitude for the visit of the U.S. officials and team during her welcome remarks yesterday.
There,  the U.S. ambassador  spent  some time as he highlighted the benefits of a clean and tidy environment and the effects of garbage.  He also interacted with students and recalled that he was at the very school about two months ago when  there was a presentation for the ‘Guyana Shines’  project.
Hardt also talked about the hazards of garbage and the importance of setting a good example in relation to littering at school and its environs and asked that the students also engage in recycling to make a difference in their community, to make Guyana shine.
Mrs. Saskia Hardt in her session with the pupils spoke of garbage, its disposal and decomposition and pointed out how garbage is bad for Guyana and she also referred to the health risks.
Meanwhile, the students were encouraged to participate in the U.S. embassy’s Primary School Poster Competition which requires them to draw a picture of some of the beautiful wildlife found in Guyana, and to tell, “Why  Wildlife Conservation is Important to You”
This competition aims to help promote wildlife conservation in Guyana,  and around the world, where every year, thousands of animal species become extinct, Hardt said.
The diplomatic community in Guyana, in collaboration with civic partners, has   kicked off the second phase   of the ‘Guyana Shines’ project in which schools are targeted.

‘Guyana Shines’  is a recently formed grouping of diplomats and others in civil society who are involved in environmental work,  and are seeking to encourage and mobilise Guyanese communities to maintain clean surroundings, specifically returning Georgetown to its glory days of being known as the ‘Garden City’.
The objective is to reach out to schools and communities to increase awareness of the harmful effects of littering and pollution and encourage individuals to make environmentally friendly decisions in their own lives and places where they live.
The group is targeting educational institutions because they believe that education is the first step to making changes that could make a  positive impact.
The grouping was formed in recognition of ‘Earth Day’ which is observed in 175 countries on April 22 and aims to increase awareness and appreciation of the earth’s natural environment.
This year’s theme is ‘Using A Billion Acts of Green to Mobilise the Earth’ and it is in recognition of Earth Day and ‘Mobilise the Earth’ that the United States   embassy, together with the British High Commission, the Canadian High Commission, the European Union Delegation, Conservation International, Environmental Community Health Organisation (ECHO) and Youth Challenge Guyana, all in Georgetown, initiated ‘Guyana Shines’.