On Saturday February 21, the EcoShores Sustainable Futures Network (ESFN) brought together youth leaders, conservation volunteers, and community representatives from across Antigua and Barbuda for a World Wetlands Day ecotour of Barbuda’s Codrington Lagoon National Park.

The event to the RAMSAR-designated wetland of international importance was one of the few occasions where there has been coordinated inter-island environmental education events of its kind in the twin-island state.

photo by Robert Andre Emmanuel

Participants from Antigua departed St John’s Harbour at 6:30 in the morning aboard the Barbuda Express, arriving in Barbuda for a full day of site visits, and community engagement that stretched across Codrington Lagoon, the mangroves, Pink Sand Beach, and the Overlook and Holding Pen — a combined cultural and scenic stop that brought the island’s ecological and historical layers into focus for many who were making the crossing for the first time.

The event was organised in partnership with IHO Nature Rangers and Scrub Life Cares (SLC), a project partner under ESFN’s Loads of Care initiative, with additional representation from the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS), community stakeholders from Barbuda, and several youth organisations.

photo by Robert Andre Emmanuel

Barbudan participants gathered at Wa’Omoni Restaurant for breakfast before joining the group.

Lead organiser, Tayna Ambrose of Scrub Life Cares framed the day’s purpose as a partnership to “educate and bring more awareness about climate change and care as it relates to women’s health,”

photo by Robert Andre Emmanuel

“We can’t talk about women’s health or gender equity or gender justice without even talking about the climate as well,” she added, standing at Pink Sand Beach, where ground swell from the previous day had left visible erosion along the shoreline.

At the Codrington Lagoon, the group received an overview of the site’s ecological significance.

The lagoon, in the heart of Barbuda, continues to support mangrove forests, fisheries, migratory birds, and one of the largest frigate bird colonies in the Western Hemisphere.

photo by Robert Andre Emmanuel

The frigate bird sanctuary, visited during mating season, drew particular attention.

Oren, who represented Adopt a Coastline, said what he took away was a how the female frigate bird lays one egg per season, underscoring the fragility of the species here is.

Lehana Simon, another of the participants, described what she learned about the aftermath of the hurricane that struck Barbuda in 2017.

“Because of the hurricane and destruction of one of the hotels close to the mangrove, the barrier was destroyed and because of that, new species of fish as well as sharks and all kinds of other species that aren’t normally in the mangrove were now in the mangroves and killing off the local species that were there,” she said.

She described the tour as a learning experience she was grateful for. “It was a really good trip. I learned a lot.”

photo by Robert Andre Emmanuel

Throughout the day, participants were asked to complete multiple surveys as part of the documentation and awareness-raising work that supports ESFN’s reporting under the Loads of Care initiative.

One of the facilitators, Britney McDonald reflected on what the cross-island gathering meant beyond the formal programme.

photo by Robert Andre Emmanuel

“Coming over and connecting with the youth here, the older folks as well, it’s really great that we were able to connect with them,” she said. “They were able to see your interests as well in their community and in what protects them from climate change impacts.”

ESFN is a regional umbrella sustainability network based in Antigua and Barbuda, with a presence in Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Its Loads of Care campaign, developed in partnership with Scrub Life Cares, operates under the slogan “Clean Threads, Caring Communities, Climate Resilience”.