Primary Schools were yesterday doing their part in helping the environment by picking up trash at or around their schools.

Over the past three years the Department of Youth and Sport's After School programme has been teaming up with Keep Bermuda Beautiful (KBB) in having the students pick up trash as a yearly project.

The After School Programme, which is a programme held after school hours, is put in place to assist parents with helping to build students' character. Exercise clubs, guest speakers, and healthy eating habits are all part of the activities held on a weekly basis.

The KBB clean up is usually held by each according to the school's schedule, this is the first year that all the schools have decided to pick up trash on the same day.

Supervisor of Northland Primary After School Programme, Renee Martin said: "Our student's are excited to be cleaning up the Admiralty House Park and they look very smart in their t-shirts that were given to them."

Sherma Simmons, Supervisor of Victor Scott After School Program said: "I checked out the area before the clean up and there is a lot of trash in the trees along with branches blown down by the weather so we will be cleaning along Glebe Road and Parson's Road Playground."

The students were provided plastic trash bags, gloves and t-shirt by KBB, and the Onion Patch Walk Club. Once the trash is collected it will be left on the side of the road for a KBB pick up.

KBB Executive Director, Rich Lathan said: "This is a great day for us because we are targeting population of young people and teaching them to protect the environment.

"The kids will be filling our data cards, keeping a tally of what they find in their areas. They will be recording things such as the number of bottles, cans and cigarette butts for example so that we know what trash is coming out of the Island.

"So far this year there have been 59,000 pounds of cigarettes recorded, so we like to keep a record of things like this."

KBB holds monthly clean ups throughout the year and next weekend they will be cleaning up at Painter's Park on Harrington Sound Road, which will include a marine clean up.

For more information on KBB and their scheduled clean ups or to arrange a clean up call 295 5142 or email on kbb@northrock.bm.