—Continued from previous page Judges are looking for an eye-catching design that will raise the profile of seabirds in the Caribbean. Work should address why seabirds are important to people and the environment, and why they are important in their own right. Entrants might con- sider their links to fishermen, Caribbean culture, role in the marine food web, etcet- era. For more ideas visit www.epicislands.org, www.scscb.org, www.birdlife.org and www listalight.co.uk/jwebpages/seabirdspecies.htm The poster can be any size and medium (i.e. paints, textiles, mixed media, etcetera). Words can be included in the image, but are not mandatory. The poster must be pho- tographed or scanned, a signature from the principal of the entrant’s school attached, and sent via e-mail to klowrie@epicislands.org. The address, telephone number, e-mail and contact information for the school and student should also be included. Closing date: April 30th; winners will be announced in June. Age categories: 6-9, 10-13, 14-18. There will be one winner in each age category, with prizes for the stu- dent (Birds of the West indies book, pair of binoculars) and the student's school (EC$300 “book token” to purchase books on nature conservation, addressed to the principal of the school). The winning posters will be displayed in the press and in government buildings. Bequia Reading Club Needs Volunteers Cheryl Johnson reports: After | began working at the Bequia Bookshop, it didn’t take long for me to notice that local children did not come into the bookshop and, from discussions with many of them, | learned they were not members of the island’s Yachting visitors and Bequia children share reading fun at the Bequia Reading Club. Come and encourage the joy of reading lone library. Thus the Bequia Reading Club started. The aim was to encourage read- ing among children seven years and upwards, although children younger than that attended. Club sessions commence at 2:00em every other Saturday, at the Sweety Bird Café behind the Bequia Bookshop. No child is ever turned away. In November 2009, to celebrate the Club’s third year of existence, a reading com- petition was held among six of the seven schools on Bequia. The reading competi- tion has been hailed as a very worthwhile exercise, and will become part of activi- ties on the Reading Club’s annual calendar. Since the reading competition, the Reading Club is bursting at its seams with new members. We have grown from 14 children, our largest number in the initial stages, to over 40. Shaverne Ollivierre has volunteered to help with the group; however, the present group size is much too much for two people. At our last session four volunteers came. They were alll sailing on the yacht Spirited Lady. Thanks to Suzie and her crew for the tremendous help they provided to the group! More volunteers from visiting yachts would be warmly welcomed. If you'd like to help, even if only for one session, please stop by the Bequia Bookshop or e-mail cheripot@hotmail.com for more details. Calling All Compass Contributors! If you've had an article, photo or poem published in the Compass during the past 12 months, you are cordially invited to bring a guest and join us at this year’s Compass Writers’ Brunch at 10:00am, Thursday, April Ist (no fooling!) at the ever-pop- ular Mac’s Pizzeria in Bequia. The annual Compass Writers’ Brunch is held just at the beginning of the Bequia Easter Regatta, so you can stay on for a whole weekend of fun. The Writers’ Brunch is absolutely free — it’s our way of saying a special thank- you to everyone who helps make the Compass special! Space is limited so please RSVP by March 18th to sally@caribbeancompass.com or phone Sally at (784) 457-3409. We look forward to seeing you there. Carriacou Maroon Festival Coming The 2010 Carriacou Maroon and Regional String Band Music Festival will take place from April 30th to May 2nd and will feature traditional “smoke food”, the Big Drum Nation Dance and other cultural art forms of the people of Carriacou. The weekend will feature string band music with bands from the British Virgin Islands, Tobago, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Carriacou scheduled to perform. For more information contact the Grenada Board of Tourism on (473) 440-2279. Got Stuff? Carriacou Benefit Auction Melodye Pompa reports: The Carriacou Children’s Education Fund will hold its Tenth Benefit Auction on July 30th to raise funds for purchasing school uniforms and supplies for needy children of Carriacou to begin the next school year. Start clean- ing out your lockers and bilges! If you haven‘t even seen or thought of a particular article for over a year, chances are it is a good candidate for donation. If you have already made plans to be somewhere else during the Carriacou Regatta Festival, July 25th through August 2nd, consider leaving your donations with Trevor at the Carriacou Yacht Club on your way through. For more information contact boatmillie@aol.com Stand By! We ran out of room! The promised article “We Choose Venezuela” by Phil Chapman will appear in next month’s Compass. MARINA Gris Du-FORT To Roe esr aa) com GUADELOUPE FAVE Tella Ei orcs ict sed) ee Pala Ly Aa cee ae 4 vata ints canbbean- ae bl RIVA ) @ HO OLO SSVdNOS NVaddllvo Vd NV?