Laborie, St. Lucia

The fishing village of Laborie is situated around a beautiful bay full of shallow reefs harmed by sewage discharge into the bay. The goal of our project is to collaborate with Laborie Community Development Organization and the Environment Culture and Heritage Organization of Laborie (ECHO Lab) to teach the children how to test the water and create model sewage treatment wetlands that can be installed throughout the community, particularly near the bay. Simple wastewater gardens can be very effective in removing nutrients and bacteria from the water, but the gardens require an impermeable liner which is too expensive for local Laborie residents to afford, therefore the students in the UNESCO club at Laborie Girls Primary are experimenting with different recycled materials to create the liners, after which the girls will install a model wastewater garden at their school.