SAMANA, Dominican Republic. - The Group Viva Resorts, with its brand Viva Residence, in collaboration with the Samaná Hotels and Tourist Companies Association (AHETSA) and the Samaná Tourist Cluster (CTS) supported the children’s painting contest "We paint our whales," staged as part of the Whale Festival.
The contest encouraged more than 300 children in Samaná province to shaped their imagination and creativity by painting the humpback whales and their marine environs.
Children up to 12 years of age and from fourth to sixth grade from 10 communities took part, along the whale-sighting route of Las Galeras, Punta Balandra, Villa Clara, Los Gratinís, Los Cacaos, Santa Barbara de Samaná and Las Terrenas.
Viva Resorts executive director Rafael Blanco Canto (Papo) said the tourism group’s social commitment supports projects to promote the protection of the natural patrimony in the communities near their resorts, and to protect the marine species.
Written by: domrep06, 6 Mar 2012 11:58 AM
From: Dominican Republic
They should show them the death dogs Viva poisoning in front of their beach in Las Terrenas
Written by: RoyStone, 6 Mar 2012 12:43 PM
From: Australia
Commendable, but unfortunately an insignificant drop in the ocean (no pun intended).
Written by: RoyStone, 6 Mar 2012 12:44 PM
From: Australia
domrep06,
It is not clear if you support the elimination of stray dogs or not.
Written by: RonEvane 
, 6 Mar 2012 1:14 PM
From: United States, Gaithersburg, Maryland
It's rather confusing to me as to what their aim is, but if it's to educate children about conserving and protecting species, it's highly commendable.
Teaching kids about the environment and how to keep it from being spoiled, is something that stays in their mind, for life!
The hotel chain should donate thrash bins and show them that this is where it belongs. Their homework for the day should consist of talking to their parents about it. Some may listen.
Written by: RoyStone, 6 Mar 2012 3:36 PM
From: Australia
I admire your optimism, Ron.
However I believe it would take more than the entire government expenditure to educate all Dominicans sufficiently to adequately address the problem. I believe in the carrot-and-stick approach (with mostly sick). Have you ever been to Singapore? It is absolutely spotless.Beautiful. Drop a cigarette-butt and you will get a stiff fine, or even a jail sentence. To harsh? The people don't think so. It wold never occur to them to do it. Dominicans couldn't care less about their country or the environment. However threaten their beer money, then that's another story.
Written by: RonEvane , 6 Mar 2012 10:30 PM
From: United States, Gaithersburg, Maryland
" I believe in the carrot-and-stick approach (with mostly stick). "
Totally, Roy!..Although I don't advocate violence of any kind, sometimes the only recourse is a swift kick in the pants.
I truly believe that, in a mostly uncultured society, this is the only approach that will yield positive results.
Three strategies need to be used. One: Children need to be sternly ingrained at school, that only animals and stupid people litter the streets. Two: People need to be taken to the nearest police station at the drop of a hat! or litter, whatever. Let them sit there for eight hours and let's see what happens when the word gets around!
Three: A-holes in government must provide thrash bins in every corner and have daily pick-ups.
If this isn't done, nothing gets done!
Written by: RoyStone, 6 Mar 2012 10:49 PM
From: Australia
I'm not sure about the trash bins.
In many picnic-grounds and the like in Australia, they have been removing the rubbish bins and replacing them with signs telling people to take their rubbish away with them, and most people comply. Provide rubbish bins here and they would be stolen. Stiff fines are the way to go, I believe.
Also companies like Coca-Cola are also villains in this. Non-returnable bottles should be banned altogether, and a sizable bounty placed on glass bottles, to ensure people return them to a retailer or depot, and they are returned to the bottler, cleaned, sterilized and re-used. Some states have introduced this and it works.
Written by: RonEvane , 6 Mar 2012 11:30 PM
From: United States, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Here in Maryland, a new law has been enacted to curb the number of plastic bags that go into landfills. Many grocery (cloth, durable), bags were distributed for free or very little money. If one does not bring one to carry groceries home with, plastic bags can be had for 5 cents each.
I, being a cheapo, will bring my special bag(s), for that purpose.
Now, mostly everyone I see at the local market, brings his own.
This evening, as I came home, I stopped at Subway sandwich and bought me one. I took it home without a bag and saved myself 5 cents and felt good about not contributing another plastic bag to the landfill.
You're absolutely right about putting a value in bottles, cans and what-have-you. Scavengers will find gold and there'll be a lot less thrash to deal with!
One of my other proposals for clean cities, is to pay a certain amount per hundred pounds of thrash. Many unemployed may find it worthwhile to collect and sell the precious refuse. It's win- win for everyone!
From: Canada
RonEvane, & RoyStone
Nice !!! Discourse with no name calling or affront. I love it. Thanks you guys!
We have similar viable programs here in which plastic bags are charged for at grocery stores. One city in our western provinces has banned plastic bags outright. The bags and bottles et al are drags on the petrol industry as well as being major sources of landfill whose half-life is measured in generations. If we stopped producing the bags and bottles alone, I wonder how much could be directed toward oil and petroleum reserves.
It would certainly be refreshing to see more dollars and energy spent on renewable resources.
There is a ray of sunshine though. There are companies here in Eastern Canada, (and many other places I’m sure), who are creating electric power from distilled, (not burned), refuse. Maybe it’s not catching on because of toxic by-products. Or maybe there's just too much money to be taken from the mouths of the oil barons. Hmmm... Not sure why
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It is not clear if you support the elimination of stray dogs or not.
It's rather confusing to me as to what their aim is, but if it's to educate children about conserving and protecting species, it's highly commendable.
Teaching kids about the environment and how to keep it from being spoiled, is something that stays in their mind, for life!
The hotel chain should donate thrash bins and show them that this is where it belongs. Their homework for the day should consist of talking to their parents about it. Some may listen.
However I believe it would take more than the entire government expenditure to educate all Dominicans sufficiently to adequately address the problem. I believe in the carrot-and-stick approach (with mostly sick). Have you ever been to Singapore? It is absolutely spotless.Beautiful. Drop a cigarette-butt and you will get a stiff fine, or even a jail sentence. To harsh? The people don't think so. It wold never occur to them to do it. Dominicans couldn't care less about their country or the environment. However threaten their beer money, then that's another story.
" I believe in the carrot-and-stick approach (with mostly stick). "
Totally, Roy!..Although I don't advocate violence of any kind, sometimes the only recourse is a swift kick in the pants.
I truly believe that, in a mostly uncultured society, this is the only approach that will yield positive results.
Three strategies need to be used. One: Children need to be sternly ingrained at school, that only animals and stupid people litter the streets. Two: People need to be taken to the nearest police station at the drop of a hat! or litter, whatever. Let them sit there for eight hours and let's see what happens when the word gets around!
Three: A-holes in government must provide thrash bins in every corner and have daily pick-ups.
If this isn't done, nothing gets done!
In many picnic-grounds and the like in Australia, they have been removing the rubbish bins and replacing them with signs telling people to take their rubbish away with them, and most people comply. Provide rubbish bins here and they would be stolen. Stiff fines are the way to go, I believe.
Also companies like Coca-Cola are also villains in this. Non-returnable bottles should be banned altogether, and a sizable bounty placed on glass bottles, to ensure people return them to a retailer or depot, and they are returned to the bottler, cleaned, sterilized and re-used. Some states have introduced this and it works.
Here in Maryland, a new law has been enacted to curb the number of plastic bags that go into landfills. Many grocery (cloth, durable), bags were distributed for free or very little money. If one does not bring one to carry groceries home with, plastic bags can be had for 5 cents each.
I, being a cheapo, will bring my special bag(s), for that purpose.
Now, mostly everyone I see at the local market, brings his own.
This evening, as I came home, I stopped at Subway sandwich and bought me one. I took it home without a bag and saved myself 5 cents and felt good about not contributing another plastic bag to the landfill.
You're absolutely right about putting a value in bottles, cans and what-have-you. Scavengers will find gold and there'll be a lot less thrash to deal with!
One of my other proposals for clean cities, is to pay a certain amount per hundred pounds of thrash. Many unemployed may find it worthwhile to collect and sell the precious refuse. It's win- win for everyone!
RonEvane, & RoyStone
Nice !!! Discourse with no name calling or affront. I love it. Thanks you guys!
We have similar viable programs here in which plastic bags are charged for at grocery stores. One city in our western provinces has banned plastic bags outright. The bags and bottles et al are drags on the petrol industry as well as being major sources of landfill whose half-life is measured in generations. If we stopped producing the bags and bottles alone, I wonder how much could be directed toward oil and petroleum reserves.
It would certainly be refreshing to see more dollars and energy spent on renewable resources.
There is a ray of sunshine though. There are companies here in Eastern Canada, (and many other places I’m sure), who are creating electric power from distilled, (not burned), refuse. Maybe it’s not catching on because of toxic by-products. Or maybe there's just too much money to be taken from the mouths of the oil barons. Hmmm... Not sure why