Living Oceans Foundation Delivers the Science

Volume 10 Issue 10 June 2015
The Newsletter
of the Bahamas
National
Trust
IN THIS ISSUE
Living Oceans Foundation
Delivers the Science
Faith-Based Programme
Caribbean Endemic Bird
Festival 2015
BNT Discovery Club
Captain Phil Renaud, Living Oceans Foundation; Ian Fair, Director of the Living Oceans Foundation; Hon. Kenred
Dorsett, Minister of the Environment and Housing; Lawrence Glinton, BNT President.
U.S. Charge d’Affaires visits
Lucayan National Park
Staff Highlight
P.O. Box N-4105
Nassau, Bahamas
Tel: 242-393-1317
[email protected] www.bnt.bs
BNT members and guests
of the Khaled Bin Sultan’s
Living Oceans Foundation
came together at the Retreat
Garden for a special presentation on May 21. The Living
Oceans Foundation presented
as part of their Global Coral
Reef Expedition.
The Expedition which
began in 2011 has conducted 19, month long, scientific research missions aboard
the research vessel Golden
Shadow and engaged with 15
different countries around the
world. The Bahamas was the
first country mapped and surveyed by The Expedition.
The Hon. Kenred Dorsett,
Minister of the Environment
and Housing, spoke on the
new environmental legislation
and indicated that the government is working on legislation for coral reefs. “These
policy measures will protect
these marine resources and,
further to this, the Bahamas
will be declaring further protected areas that will protect
10% of the near shore and
marine environment in the
near future”.
Captain Phil Renaud gave
an overview on the Global
Coral Reef Expedition,
explaining that the Living
Oceans Foundation with its
full time staff of three (3),
is dedicated to the principal of science without borders and to communicating
and sharing the results of
their research missions. The
information gathered from
the expeditions is available
on a web-based platform. It
is their overarching desire
to share the research so that
coral reefs can be better managed and protected globally. He went on to say, “The
Bahamas was without a doubt
the most pleasant country
that we worked in and in
fact, after working in The
Bahamas, we were spoiled.
Your hospitality was amazing and it was easy to work
in your country – our experiences were not the same in
other places”.
Dr. Andrew Bruckner
gave an overview of the technology which has resulted in
the creation of high resolution
continued on page 2
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TrustNotes - Volume 10, Issue 10 - June, 2015 2
Living Oceans Foundation
Shenique Albury-Smith, TNC Bahamas Country Rep.
with BNT President Lawrence Glinton and Captain
Phil Renaud and Ian Fair from Living Oceans.
continued from page 1
Captain Phil Renaud and Ian Fair from the Living Oceans Foundation present ‘Atlas of
Shallow Marine Habitats of The Bahamas’, to Lawrence Glinton, BNT President.
Living Oceans presenters had a captive audience.
habitat maps, substrate profiles,
detailed characterizations of the
coral reef community and coral habitats. Their research has also created a better understanding of the
growth rate of algae and the role of
algae-eating fish in regulating algae
populations, as well as the characterization of dark spots disease, a
prevalent coral disease. All of the
imagery, maps and information from
the Bahamas missions are compiled
in the Kahled Bin Sultan’s Living
Oceans Foundation’s Geographic
Information System (GIS) database.
All of their findings have been compiled in the Atlas of Shallow Marine
Habitats of The Bahamas.
While in The Bahamas, the
team completed coral reef research
missions to Cay Sal Bank, Great
Inagua, Little Inagua and Hogsty
Reef and Andros Island during
2011. Additionally seven (7)
young marine scientists in The
Bahamas representing the BNT
(Bahamas National Trust), TNC
(The Nature Conservancy) and
DMR (Department of Marine
Resources) were invited to be part
of the Bahamas Expedition, gaining
valuable experience in this important area of coral reef research.
The Living Oceans team ended
the meeting with presentations of
the Atlas of Shallow Marine Habitats
of The Bahamas to the Minister
and other honored guests. Mr.
Ian Fair, Director of the Living
Oceans Foundation said, “We are
here tonight to deliver the science
and share the information with the
country”.
TrustNotes - Volume 10, Issue 10 - June, 2015 3
Education
Faith-Based Programme
Last fall the Education department
launched a Faith-Based Outreach programme that visits churches, actively
participating in church services, mounting special exhibitions and conducting
national park surveys. The program was
launched as part of a departmental goal
to reach more adults. After six months
of implementation the programme has
directly reached almost 1900 adults.
Coupled with numbers from our regular field trip programme, the BNT has
seen 3782 adults during the first quarter,
an increase of 52% over its total for the
same period last year. The programme has
been endorsed by the Christian Council,
Anglican Diocese, Church of God and
Seventh Day Adventist denominations. % of participants said they had never
Our mandate and that of religious orga- visited a national park. Contact Juanita
nizations is very similar. The Bible, in Munroe at 393-1317 to schedule a BNT
Genesis chapter one, instructs Christians visit to your place of worship.
to be good
stewards
of
the earth. The
message for
our outreach
programme
centers on that
and encourages
people to visit
national parks.
Our surveys
indicate that 51
BNT Education Department at Evangelistic Temple.
U.S. Charge
d’Affaires visits
Lucayan National Park
BNT Deputy Park Wardens, Ellsworth Weir and David Cooper with
U.S. Charge d’Affaires, Lisa Johnson.
Juanita Munroe, BNT Education Officer, engages with
congregant at St. Ambrose Anglican Church.
Lisa Johnson, the Charge d’ Affaires from the U.S.
Embassy along with her administrative assistant Lisa Moxey
visited Lucayan National Park on Thursday morning and
were given a tour by our friendly, Grand Bahama Parks Staff.
TrustNotes - Volume 10, Issue 10 - June, 2015 4
Education
Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival
2015 held on Abaco
Enthusiastic participants at Abaco Endemic Bird Festival .
Abaco participated in the 14th
Annual Caribbean Endemic Bird
Festival on Saturday, May 16, 2015.
The venue for the celebrations was
Bahama Palm Shores, South Abaco.
Participants gathered at the High Banks
Volunteer Fire Service which was the
home-base for this year’s festival. A
total of 69 persons (48 students and 21
adults) enjoyed activities that included
bird walks, bird part and silhouette
identification and a presentation entitled, “Restore Habitats, Restore Birds”.
The presentation spoke of the different habitats, introduced participants
to the five endemics of The Bahamas
and instructed the audience on what
ordinary citizens can do to help birds,
e.g. plant native trees to create a food
source, install bird feeders and water
baths. Maya Wilson, a Ph.D. student at
Virginia Tech University, was on hand
to speak at length about her research
on the endemic Bahama Swallow. The
behavioral patterns and nesting habits
of the species were looked at as well
as her field work, which includes the
capture programme using mist nets,
banding, data collection, monitoring
of active nests, habitat surveys and
behavioral observations. Ms. Wilson
engaged participants at the festival
in her research by putting up a mist
net and demonstrating the process,
although no birds were captured at
the festival. Joining the festival was
Carolyn Wardle, an avid bird watcher,
along with eleven other persons from
the New Providence Bird Club. The
group visited a number of sites during
their two days on Abaco looking for
endemics and rare birds.
The Caribbean Endemic Bird
Festival, now in its 14th year, is led
continued on page 5
TrustNotes - Volume 10, Issue 10 - June, 2015 5
Education
festival includes Caribbean-wide activ- than twenty countries. The event celby BirdsCaribbean, the largest orga- ities beginning on Earth Day (April ebrates the 150 bird species that are
nization devoted to wildlife conserva- 22) and ending on International found only in the Caribbean.
tion in the Caribbean. The month-long Biodiversity Day (May 22), in more
continued from page 4
David Knowles, BNT Director of Parks guides students at the festival.
Maya Wilson, PH.D Student at Virginia Tech, showing student a bird
nest.
BIRD CLUB OF NEW PROVIDENCE CELEBRATED
CARIBBEAN ENDEMIC BIRD DAY WITH A FIELD TRIP
In recognition of this year’s
Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival,
twelve members of the Bird Club of
New Providence took a weekend birding trip to Abaco from May 16-17, 2015.
This allowed members to see four of the
five endemic birds of The Bahamas; the
Bahama Warbler, Bahama Yellowthroat
and Bahama Swallow which cannot be
seen on New Providence.
At their first stop in Bahama Palm
Shores, a residential area about 20 miles
south of Marsh Harbour, the group met
our Abaco staff, expert birders, scientists
and local residents. Local experts Woody
Bracey and Reg Patterson, accompanied
the group for the rest of the trip recording 63 different species of birds over the
two day trip.
This is the club’s third trip for the
year. In March they visited Mayaguana
and in April they took a birding expedition to Panama. Regular bird walks are
held once a month. If you are interested
in joining the club please email Wallas
at [email protected] or cwardlef@
yahoo.com.
Bird Club of New Providence in Abaco.
TrustNotes - Volume 10, Issue 10 - June, 2015 6
Education
Discovery Club Ends the Year
Lawrence Glinton, BNT President, addresses Discovery Club members at Bonefish Pond.
Great volunteers from BahaMar assisted with water activities.
Discovery Club members enjoyed kayaking in the park.
BNT President, Lawrence Glinton
took time out of his busy schedule to
celebrate a very successful Discovery
Club year at an end-of-year event held
at Bonefish Pond National Park on May
16. The president addressed over 150
Nassau-based members and expressed
how pleased he was with the growth and
development of Discovery Club. Currently
there are 24 Discovery Club units based
on New Providence and 60 throughout
the country. Mr. Glinton encouraged all
parents and guardians in attendance to
promote corporate giving to the BNT at
their various workplaces. He explained
that corporate support is needed for the
BNT to continue to operate the Discovery
Club programme.
Discovery Club members enjoyed
snorkeling, kayaking, games, crafts and
delicious hot dogs and hamburgers. The
event was supported by volunteers from
KPMG accounting firm and BahaMar
Resort.
Discovery Club members get ready for a
snorkeling adventure.
Discovery Club Leader prepares for lunch.
TrustNotes - Volume 10, Issue 10 - June, 2015 7
Education
BNT Discovery Club Chapters on Abaco
hold Annual Overnight Camp
Anistacia Dawkins, Discovery Club Leader for Central Abaco Primary School, instructs campers on knot tying.
Bahamas National Trust
Discovery Club chapters on
Abaco held their second annual
overnight camp on May 22 at
Snake Cay Creeks, Abaco. Club
members were introduced to
pitching tents, rolling a sleeping bag, knot tying in different
styles and fire safety. Campers
had the opportunity to swim
and snorkel the pristine waters
of Snake Cay Creeks and later
gathered around the camp fire
for the traditional roasting of
hotdogs and marshmallows.
The campers were blessed with
a clear evening sky that allowed
stargazing and identification
of a number of constellations.
The evening was capped off
with songs and ghost stories
around the camp fire, which
had a few campers shivering in
their socks. The campers rose
at 6:30am to clean up and pack
after having a light breakfast.
BNT Office Administrator,
Kaderin Mills said the camp
was a smashing success. “We are
pleased that the four clubs were
able to come together and experience the great outdoors and
their natural environment. All
of the kids were truly thrilled
to be a part of this event and
are excitedly looking forward
to next year’s camp”! There
were 37 club members and 11
adults who participated in this
year’s camp.
David Knowles, BNT Director of Parks, talks about fire safety.
Campers enjoyed swimming at Snake Cay.
TrustNotes - Volume 10, Issue 10 - June, 2015 8
National Parks
BNT Parks Team visit Mayaguana
Lakeshia Anderson, BNT Grand Bahama
National Parks Manager and Shelley CantWoodside, BNT Parks Planner visited
Mayaguana to engage the community on the
proposed Booby Cay National Park. These
efforts are part of the project funded by the
Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF),
through Island Conservation. The team conducted two (2) public meetings, distributed
educational and outreach materials to residents and visited a site that the community
is proposing for national park status through
the Bahamas National Trust.
Lakeshia Anderson, BNT Grand Bahama National Parks Manager and Shelley
Cant-Woodside, BNT Parks Planner, pose with Chef Turu of Baycaner’s Beach
Resort.
Grand Bahama American
Women’s Club donates to
GB Summer Safari
Public Lecture
Features Shorebirds
BNT Grand Bahama staff attended the Grand Bahama American
Women’s Club Annual General Meeting, where they received a
donation that will sponsor kids from the Grand Bahama Children’s
Home to attend BNT’s Summer Safari Camp. This annual camp
will be held at the Rand Nature Centre from June 22-26, 2015.
BNT Council member Matt Jefferey from the National Audobon Society.
The May lecture in the Grand Bahama Public
Lecture Series featured BNT Council member,
Matthew Jefferey from the National Audubon
Society, who presented on “The Importance of
The Bahamas to North American Shorebirds”.
Jefferey’s presentation provided a great deal of
information on the shorebird conservation efforts
in The Bahamas, how knowing areas that are
critically important can assist with protected area
design and the ways they can benefit local residents. He highlighted a major project currently
being funded by IDB, and implemented through
BNT and Audubon’s partnership, which seeks to
provide training for local communities in bird
tourism, among other things.
TrustNotes - Volume 10, Issue 10 - June, 2015 9
National Parks
Aquacat Donates to the BNT
L-R: Astra Armbrister Rolle, BNT Director of Development;
Capt. Des Greyling, Aquacat Cruises; Eric Carey, BNT Executive Director.
Bruce Purdy, owner of
Blackbeards, Cat Ppalu and
Aquacats Cruises has been a
long-time supporter of The
Trust. These companies operate
catamaran excursions that often
take them into the Exuma Cays
Land and Sea Park (ECLSP). For
more than eight years Bruce
and his team of captains have
been teaching their patrons
the importance of preserving
and conserving this beautiful
land and sea park, encouraging all of them to give back.
This week the BNT received an
unexpected visit from Captain
Des Greyling of Aquacats, who
stopped by to drop off a $25,000
cheque. Captain Des Greyling
reiterated the company’s corporate mission to assist in preserving and protecting the tourism
product they rely on so heavily.
He expressed the desire to continue the relationship between
the catamaran excursion operator and the BNT, deepening
the partnership through in-kind
support in addition to financial
sponsorship.
Staff Highlight
Local Professionals Join Inaugural Class of the
Conservation Leadership in the
Caribbean (CLiC) Fellows Programme
Scott Johnson, BNT Education Officer and Agnessa Lundy, Marine Science Officer.
Agnessa Lundy and Scott Johnson
from The Bahamas National Trust in
Nassau, The Bahamas have been selected
as participants in the 2015 Conservation
Leadership in the Caribbean (CLiC) fellows programme.
Funded in part by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) and supported by the International Fund for Animal
Welfare (IFAW; www.ifaw.org), CLiC is an
opportunity for up-and-coming conservation professionals in the wider Caribbean
to gain invaluable skills and experience
working with proven conservation leaders.
Graduates will become future conservation leaders of the Caribbean with the
competence necessary to lead on critical
issues facing wildlife in the region.
In addition to three training sessions
over a two-year period, fellows will work in
teams to design, implement and evaluate
continued to page 10
TrustNotes - Volume 10, Issue 10 - June, 2015 10
Science
continued from page 9
selected projects in biodiversity conservation for sustainable development in the
Caribbean. They will have access to qualified training experts who will help guide
them on this journey and who will provide one-on-one mentoring, networking
opportunities and career development.
“This program directly addresses the
critical need for a new generation of wildlife and conservation leaders throughout the Caribbean and Latin America
who, as today’s young leaders, do not
have adequate access to opportunities
to experience and practice conservation
in areas such as development, communications or grassroots activities”, said
Kelvin Alie, CLiC Director and Wildlife
Trade Manager at IFAW.
CLiC fellows come from a wide variety
of backgrounds and experiences in the
conservation field. Lundy and Johnson
join 18 other young Caribbean conservation professionals as 2015 CLiC fellows.
“I am delighted to meet and collaborate with professionals who share my
passion for the preservation of the environment”, said Lundy. “The opportunity
to learn from experienced scientists and
educators while designing and implementing a project is exciting”.
Scott Johnson asserted, “ I look forward to working with other Caribbean
professionals and strengthening conservation and social bonds between The
Bahamas and other Caribbean nations
all while working to meet a common goal
which is to better protect vital habitats.
This type of work, however, will not be
as effective if local stake holders don’t
buy into the concept of conservation
and preservation of important ecosystems and wildlife”.
The program begins at the St. George’s
University in Grenada on June 4 with a
three-day training workshop followed
by a ten-day short course on the Open
Standards for the Practice of Conservation.
About the Conservation
Leadership in the Caribbean
(CLiC) Fellows Programme
The goal of the Conservation
Leadership in the Caribbean (CLiC) fellows programme is to have an established,
sustainable Caribbean leadership-training
programme enabling effective regional
networking and action to achieve sustainable conservation. For more information, please visit http://conservationcaribbean.weebly.com/.
Conchservation Coloring
Competition Winners Announced
The BNT’s Conchservation Colouring
Competition supported by Sandals
Foundation and Wendy’s has created
awareness of the need to stop the harvesting of juvenile conch in The Bahamas
if we expect to have conch in the future.
Weekly winners in the coloring completion received Wendy’s gift bags. The
grand prize winners Ashanti Marshall
of Xavier’s Lower School and Sean Lynes
of Kingsway Academy, were selected by
representatives from The Tribune and
Harbourside Marine, receiving fishing
tackle as their grand prizes. We again
congratulate all our weekly winners and
thank all the participating students. The
Conchservation Campaign aims to educate Bahamians on the threats to Queen
Conch and encourage sustainable fishing.
We are Acting Today to Ensure Conch
for Tomorrow. Follow us on Facebook
to learn how you can help preserve the
Queen Conch.
Weekly winners are shown below
with their entries.
continued to page 11
Grand Prize and weekly winner Sean Lynes
from Kingsway Academy.
Grand Prize and weekly winner Ashanti
Marshall from Xavier’s Lower School.
TrustNotes - Volume 10, Issue 10 - June, 2015 11
Weekly Winners
continued from page 10
Kennard Rolle Whyms, Kingsway Academy
with Agnessa Lundy (BNT).
Debra Dorval, Claridge Primary with
Katrina Cartwright (BNT).
Tiffany Rutherford, Kingsway Academy with Regina Smith (BNT).
Elias Hason Fair Bhatti, St. Andrews.
Jayden Gardiner, Palmdale Primary with teachers and
Clare Adderly-Sands (BNT).
Tianique Thurston, Palmdale Primary with teachers and
Clare Adderly-Sands (BNT).
Tyreik Jones, Claridge Primary with Eric Carey (BNT).
Gemma Cafferata, Lucaya International School (Grand Bahama)
with Lisa Wildgoose (BNT).
TrustNotes - Volume 10, Issue 10 - June, 2015 12
BNT BULLETIN
Membership
Highlight
William Pinder
Event Calendar
Camp Safari New Providence
Monday, June 22, 2015 - Nassau
William Pinder, BNT member and avid birder has been a
driving force in strengthening the BNT New Providence Bird
Club. The Club continues to grow from strength to strength
organizing monthly bird walks, Family Island birding trips and
assisting with special education activities such as Migratory
Bird Day and the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival. William
was recently recognized by the New Providence Bird Club for
his hard work and is shown here with club member Carolyn
Wardle.
Camp Safari Grand Bahama
Monday, June 22, 2015 - Grand Bahama
Andros Summer Camp
Monday, July 06, 2015
Bahamas National Trust
P. O. Box N-4105, Nassau, The Bahamas
Tel: 242-393-1317
www.bnt.bs | [email protected]