WaterWays Caribbean has seen much success since our founding in St. Lucia in 2004. Through collaboration with the electric utilities, government entities, resorts, and community groups, thousands of students and teachers are more attuned to the conservation of their local resources.
Unlike environmental organizations that attempt to effect change from without, WaterWays Caribbean works to make a difference from within. Our organization seeks business leaders from island nations who will sponsor local environmental projects. WaterWays Caribbean staff and volunteers then train local educators and students to design, implement, and monitor projects that conserve the local marine ecosystems. Through these efforts, the next generation of leaders will protect the environment and provide economic stability to the islands.
For inquiries for Caribbean collaboration and project development, contact our Executive Director, Mary Beth Sutton, or our Caribbean Program Coordinator, Nadia Cazaubon.
🌎 Where We Have Worked
St. Lucia
Belize
Curaçao
Jamaica
Haiti
Dominican Republic
Dominica
Are you are Caribbean national wanting to start environmental programming or restoration work in your community? Contact our staff or consider becoming a Friend of WaterWays!
Regional Programs
Adopt-A-River
Summer Camp
Active Countries
Past Countries We Have Worked In:
Curaçao
Jamaica
Haiti
Dominican Republic
Dominica
Regional Programs
Adopt-A-River
Adopt-A-River is an initiative that involves communities, schools, and corporate entities to engage in sustainable activities aimed at improving the health of rivers and watersheds based on the model first implemented in Trinidad and Tobago. Our pilot project began with the Choc River in St. Lucia with schools, corporations, and the Satellite Club of St Lucia Rotary, leading to a more in-depth program on the Soufriere River funded through the UN Small Grants Programme and many partners. The sustainability of this programme and indeed our rivers requires many partners and residents in the watersheds to take responsibility for taking care of our rivers.
Summer Camp
WaterWays has offered engaging summer camps for the Caribbean since 2007. Camps are made possible through thoughtful collaborations with local businesses and agencies who share our mission of empowering community members to take positive action in their watersheds. Depending on the country, the camp theme will either be Rainforest to Reef or Ridge to Reef.
Countries We Are Active In:
St. Lucia
WaterWays (formerly Caribbean Student Environmental Alliance) begain programming in St Lucia in 2004. Our first partners were Lucelec, Sustainable Development(still our partners today), Carilec, Solid Waste Management, and Mystic Man Tours and held at Ciceron Secondary School. St. Lucia is aour Caribbean home Base. We have many ongoing programs and projects.
Belize
In 2006, WaterWays Caribbean was called by Belize Community Conservation to help with sanitation issues. Together we built Kids 4 Clean Water camps in Belize and are working to improve hygiene and sanitation in the poor villages near San Pedro. Local partners such as San Pedro Red Cross and Caribbean Youth Environment Network have also joined us as partners and many local businesses support us through in-kind donations. In 2023, WaterWays was awarded a grant for mangrove restoration and education in Belize.
Past Projects in Other Countries:
Curaçao
Our work in Curaçao began when our Executive Director and Founder, Mary Beth Sutton, met the owners of Sunset Waters Resort through the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association (DEMA) show who then provided the introduction to Ricki Harris, recently widowed from one of the resort founders Ricki founded an ngo in his honor called, Lee’s Reef Project. We collaborated with Lee’s Reef Project to bring teachers to the resort to learn about teaching hands-on environmental programs . The teachers who came to the training were invited to bring their students to do activities led by the teachers and our interns. Working with Les Behrends and Ton Kros, we constructed a huge reciprocating wastewater garden for the resort thanks to a NFWF grant for Coral Reef Protection. Within 6 months of the sewage being treated by the wetland, corals had started regrowing where the sewage had formerly been released. The resort used the purified water to water plants for the resort, which flourished.
Jamaica
Our work in Jamaica came about by the connections of former Peace Corps Volunteer Sheila “Shae” Carman with the Naylor’s Hill Community near Port Antonio, Jamaica. Helped monitor the water quality and erosion coming from the hill and engaged with Engineers without Borders to help reduce erosion and build a road to their community through the power of humans not machines. Delta Airlines also was a partner.
Haiti
WaterWays Caribbean assisted the Chattanooga Breakfast Rotary-led project, and came up with the idea to build Arbor Loos for villages without sanitation.
Dominican Republic
WaterWays Caribbean worked with EGE Haina and International community consultant, Catherine Colby, to educate students and fisherfolk about coral reefs and mangroves, monitor water quality, and clean up the beach and mangrove through the efforts of EGE Haina, the community members, and the fisherfolk. Haina employed the fishing community to clean the mangrove during the season when they couldn’t fish for lobster.
Dominica
In 2009, WaterWays Caribbean facilitated a 2-week program for Dominica Community High School students followed by a year of collaboration with Domlec and Agriculture in which the students learned about watersheds, and the impact of agriculture on the river, and they measured water quality and streamflow. Archbold Tropical Research and Education Center (ATREC) was a huge partner, and the SUN Foundation helped with composting training to build shade structures and grow native plants. We also re-planted trees to reduce erosion in the Roseau River. Christine Bock was a huge help in assisting with the replanting and the student greenhouse work. Two groups of US students from Notre Dame High School visited to help with projects and learn about Dominica.
Worked with Conyers Rotary Club and Dominica Rotary Club (Adler Hammit and Gloria Tavernier) to rehabilitate a public toilet and build a wastewater wetland in Mero Beach. ATREC was again instrumental in the project.