A BERMUDA charity aims to stage a major music festival on the island next summer to raise awareness of environmental issues.

The Greenrock Project, a Bermuda registered charity formed six months ago, wants to attract artists "with a social message" to perform at Clearwater Beach in St. David's.

Greenrock Project vice-president Milton Raposo said yesterday that the charity hoped to gain the backing of the Department of Tourism for the festival.

The hope is for the Greenrock Music & Arts Festival to become an annual event. And Mr. Raposo added the festival would be the charity's main vehicle for broadcasting its central message ? that we can all make a difference to the island's environment through our actions.

No artists have been signed up yet, although initial approaches have been made.

Proceeds raised from the festival will go to charities involved with improving and maintaining the environment.

"We've got the help of two guys in the US ? one is very involved in radio on the eastern seaboard and the other was responsible for organising Woodstock in 1999," Mr. Raposo said.

"They are helping us to make up a marketing schedule, so we have a marketing plan we will be able to show the Department of Tourism.

"We haven't talked with Tourism yet, but we have corresponded with them. We are confident in the Minister (Dr. Ewart Brown), who seems keen on interesting new ideas that help to get visitors on the island."

Erin Moran, owner of a holistic medical centre, is the founder and president of Greenrock.

Also involved, particularly with the planning of the festival, are entrepreneur Keetha Lowe and Gavin (Sundjata) Smith, founder of the Gombey Liberation Party who stood for Parliament in last year's General Election at the age of 24.

Mr. Raposo has plenty of experience of organising gigs. A musician himself, he returned to Bermuda this year, having lived for five years in London where he worked in music venue management at the Shepherds Bush Empire and then the Islington Academy (formerly The Marquee).

He felt Clearwater Beach would be a perfect venue for the festival.

"We want the festival to be earthy, but not too earthy for Bermuda tastes," he said. "The idea is to make it grass roots and capture something that the island is lacking, that is a simple way of doing things.

that is a simple way of doing things.

"For example, we have to show people that recycling is not a hard thing to do. In places like Canada, everyone recycles. We don't want to give out a Doomsday message, just encourage people to do simple things that can make a difference. This is a small island and we really have to think harder about the way we dispose of our rubbish."

Mr. Raposo said he had noticed rapid changes in the island's environment on his return after a five-year absence.

"Many things had changed," he said. "We see a lot more office blocks and trash on the road. The things you used to hear from visitors about the island being so nice and pristine ? we don't hear that so much these days. We do care about the island and we don't want to see it become like Monte Carlo, overcrowded with all its high-rise buildings. We want our message to tie in with everything else that happens here, including tourism."

Greenrock has a web site ? ? which gives more details about the organisation and the festival.

The introduction to the site states: "We are at a significant turning point. Our planet is faced with serious environmental issues including depleted natural resources, habitat destruction and pollution.

"Bermuda is a microcosm of these forces and, as such, is in a delicate position both environmentally and socially. Our reliance on overseas imports, the issue of overcrowding and a lack of natural resources demand that we become more vigilant about sustainable living.

"Bermuda is unique. It is small, yet has the means to make change happen. Our most valuable resource is our people and we must come together with awareness and tools to make positive steps toward our future. In doing so, we could be an example to the rest of the world."

Mr. Raposo said Greenrock aimed to promote awareness of the environment not only through the festival, but through public discussion.

"We would like to hold a town hall-style meeting about the environment, not with just experts, but with ordinary people bringing forward their environmental concerns," Mr. Raposo said.

"These issues all tie in with other aspects, such as tourism, the housing crisis and maybe even immigration issues."