The Newsletter of the Bahamas National Trust

Transcription

1 Volume 15 Issue 5 May 2018 The Newsletter of the Bahamas National Trust IN THIS ISSUE: BNT Leads Stakeholder Consultations on Abaco, Andros and Eleuthera BNT Members Get More Rewards P.O. Box N-4105 Nassau, Bahamas Tel: bnt@bnt.bs n n Ready, Set, Learn: Leon Levy Preserve 2018 Summer Internship Grand Bahama Corporate Community Supports Environmental Conservation with BNT Discovery Club n

2 TrustNotes - Volume 15 Issue 5 May BNT Leads Stakeholder Consultations on Abaco, Andros and Eleuthera Islands Travel team conducting walkabouts in Cherokee, Abaco to show residents areas being proposed in South Abaco (L to R) Lashanti Jupp, BNT Conservation Planner, Lyndee Bowe, Ministry of Environment Environmental Officer, Joy Albury, Cherokee Resident and David Knowles, BNT Chief Warden. This past month, the Bahamas National Trust with representitives from TNC, BREEF, BEST, DMR, and Ministry of the Environment visited South Andros, South Abaco, Spanish Wells, North Eleuthera and Harbour Island. The meetings were geared towards receiving feedback from fishermen and their respective communities on areas the Bahamas Protected Project is proposing as additions to the Bahamas Marine Protected Area Network. The overall feedback from the meeting participants across these islands were positive for conservation. Attendance at the meetings were excellent as the project team was able to interact with over 160 individuals across these three islands. Key concerns for the fisherman and other community stakeholders were how the new protected areas would affect their livelihoods. Including fishermen and stakeholders in the management planning process for the new areas is a priority for the BNT and the Bahamas Protected Partners. The team were also able to meet with James Albury, MP for South Abaco and Rickey Mackey, MP for South Eleuthera. Both MP s support marine protected areas and Mr. Mackey made a special effort to attend the community meeting in N. Eleuthera because he sees the establishment of marine protected areas as very important. Stakeholders at all of the meetings indicated their appreciation of being included in the conversation to establish these new areas which will continued on page 3

3 TrustNotes - Volume 15 Issue 5 - May continued from page 2 make up the final 10% of the Bahamas commitment to the Caribbean Challenge. The Bahamas National Trust, as part of the Bahamas Protected project, has been leading stakeholder consultations on several islands for the past 3 years. The Bahamas Protected project is an initiative led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) with its partners the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) and Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF). The project is building on the work completed in 2015 to protect the first 10% of the nearshore and marine environment to bring the Government of The Bahamas the best recommendations for protection of an additional 10% of our marine and coastal environment while also significantly strengthening the effective management and funding for existing protected areas. To keep up with this project and to hear about upcoming meetings, follow Participants at Spanish Wells Community Meeting at Samuel Guy Pinder All Age School, Spanish Wells, Eleuthera. Community Meeting in South Abaco at JA Pinder Primary School, Sandy Point, Abaco. Travel team meets Member of Parliament for Central and South Abaco, James Albury.

4 TrustNotes - Volume 15 Issue 5 - May Raquel Rolle, Membership Coordinator presents Rewardship Certificate of Appreciation to Paige Charles of Sonesta Beauty. Jinnel Sturridge, Membership Officer, Grand Bahama presents Rewardship Certificate of Appreciation to Krystle Smith of Renu Day Spa. BNT Members Get More Rewards The Rewardship Programme, which offers in-store-discounts has been a long-time benefit offered to BNT members. Raquel Rolle, BNT Membership Coordinator stated As part of the Members Matter campaign we have begun to welcome additional businesses that can offer a wider range of services for our members to enjoy. We will be introducing a rewardship video segment, highlighting our committed partners. A special thank you to our existing rewardship partners, who have supported the BNT for many years with their generosity and commitment to the environment. To see a complete listing of all our rewardship partners visit the official BNT website. Sonesta Beauty Salon & Barber Shop, is the newest partner to our growing rewardship programme. Mrs. Paige Charles who is the proprietor of Sonesta said We are delighted to join the BNT rewardship programme, and welcome BNT members to come in and enjoy our services we specialize in hair-styling, hair repair treatments, manicures and pedicures to name a few, and all services are eligible for discount to card carrying BNT members. Our Grand Bahama list of rewardship partners is also growing thanks to the work of Jinnel Sturridge, Grand Bahama Membership Officer. We proudly welcome, Renu Day Spa located on Grand Bahama. Renu Day Spa is a leading wellness provider, offering spa and holistic wellness services. Sturridge stated, We are truly grateful for Renu Day Spa coming onboard not only as a corporate member of the BNT but also committing to offer discounts on spa services. Krystle Smith the proprietor of Renu Day Spa said, We are truly happy to be a part of the BNT in such a way, because it all ties into wellness. It will allow our clients to also experience nature and relaxation in a different atmosphere, versus being indoors. They will now be able to experience more outdoor activity. Likewise, their members will now be able to come into our spa and take advantage of our services, such as massages, Reiki, facials whatever it may be, to incorporate wellness in its entirety. Membership is an essential part of our organization and we are happy that members can access some personal benefits while supporting such a wonderful cause. Our new rewardship partners were presented with certificates of appreciation, and a gift bag of BNT merchandise. BNT Members can now enjoy 10% discount on services at both businesses.

5 TrustNotes - Volume 15 Issue 5 - May Sea the future: Show Your Support for Bahamian Marine Protected Areas Ready, Set, Learn: Leon Levy Preserve 2018 Summer Internship The Leon Levy Preserve welcomed a new cohort of interns to its Natural History of The Bahamas Summer Internship on May 14. Undergraduates Kianna Dean, Jesse Greene and Zoe Brown hail from New Providence and Grand Bahama and quickly immersed themselves in the eight-week program studying botany and plant community ecology. At the end of the second week the trio could sight identify 85 species of plants, recall their respective plant communities and had completed data collection on a Permanent Forest Plot at the Levy Preserve. The internship also covers geology, ornithology and herpetology, and this year s program includes a week-long educational and cultural exchange with the Natural Areas Conservancy in New York. Follow the Leon Levy Preserve s Facebook page to learn more about the interns and their work. Interns explore Lighthouse Point, Eleuthera (L to R) Zoe Brown, Jesse Greene, Kianna Dean.

6 TrustNotes - Volume 15 Issue 5 May Grand Bahama Corporate Community Supports Environmental Conservation with BNT Discovery Club Jewel Thompson, Discovery Club Coordinator addressed awardees and parents. Recently 60 members of the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) Discovery Club joined their families and BNT staff for their awards ceremony at the Rand Nature Centre in Grand Bahamas. Students from Walter Parker Primary and Bartlett Hill Primary Schools were provided with the opportunity to participate in and enjoy full benefits of being a Discovery Club member from the generous support of the Freeport Harbour Company and Grand Bahama Airport Company, who contributed $13, as part of a larger three-year commitment to conservation programs on Grand Bahama. Participants this year earned their Mangroves and Sharks badges. Each badge represents a sixweek environmental curriculum that teaches participants the biology, ecology and importance of the subject matter. DC members participated in hands-on classroom activities, exciting field studies and other sessions that give them a firsthand understanding of their environment commented BNT Discovery Club Coordinator Jewel Thompson. The BNT has committed to providing all supplies, equipment, leaders training and other opportunities to support the over 1000 participants and 100 leaders across 9 islands to help share the message of conservation and secure the country s future. This commitment costs the BNT $6, per unit for each of the 75 groups around the country. This dedication to environmental education can only be honored through the support of partners throughout local communities. The generous support of the Freeport Harbour Company and Grand Bahama Airport Company was an important investment in the conservation and stewardship of Bahamian National Parks. Grand Bahama DC members receive their badges and sashes.

7 TrustNotes - Volume 15 Issue 5 - May Starbucks Volunteers at The Retreat The BNT is pleased that members of corporate Bahamas continue to show support for the important job of managing Parks. Team members of Starbucks Bahamas were hosted at The Retreat by the Education Department to assist with ongoing work. The enthusiastic employees assisted with the maintenance of what will become the children s area in the park, as well as with organizing Discovery Club s camping gear inventory. It s always a joy to host volunteer group it s easily become one of my favorite parts of the job commented BNT Outreach Officer Steffon Evans. Furthermore, we ve got such an enormous mandate on our plate that we certainly will not be able to fulfill without the assistance of corporate Bahamas. We offer our most gracious thanks to the team from Starbucks! As the Starbucks service slogan noted Good things are happening! every hour spent volunteering with the BNT adds to the country s ability to manage its amazing natural treasures. If you are interested in organizing a volunteer group with your company, please contact the BNT Education Department at or education@bnt.bs Steffon Evans, BNT Outreach Officer and Sweetie Bahamian Boa with Starbucks volunteer group.

8 TrustNotes - Volume 15 Issue 5 - May Grand Bahama Visit for Caribbean National Park Managers The Grand Bahama office of The Bahamas National Trust hosted representatives from Belize and the British Virgin Islands for a visit to local protected areas and meetings with law enforcement agencies. The visit is part of a programme of inter-agency meetings for representatives from protected area organizations and law enforcement agencies from three countries. Following meetings in Nassau, the international representatives visited Grand Bahama s national parks and met with local partner agencies involved in marine protected area law enforcement. With our counterparts from other Caribbean countries we re looking at future planning for our marine protected area enforcement programme. Lessons learned by other important national parks, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, can help guide us as we address the challenges of safeguarding our natural resources, explained Mr. Ellsworth Weir, Grand Bahama Parks Manager for The Bahamas National Trust. Organizations taking part in the visit were The Bahamas National Trust, the Department of Marine Resources and The Royal Bahamas Police Force, with representatives from the Belize Fisheries Department, Belize Audubon Society and the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands (British). According to Mr. Weir: Regional scientific monitoring confirms that effective marine natural resource enforcement serves to protect biodiversity and increase the number and size of commercially important fish, conch and lobster. Through spillover benefits this provides for enhanced fishing in areas outside protected areas. By sharing with our neighbors we re looking to strengthen our enforcement programme. We re applying new technology that s in use in other parts of the region and we re continuing to strengthen our partnerships with national law enforcement agencies, he added. The meeting is an initiative of the MPA Connect Network which is comprised of marine protected areas in 10 Caribbean countries and territories, working in partnership with the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration s Coral Reef Conservation Program. For more information please contact or see The Bahamas National Trust with marine law enforcement partners in Grand Bahama (Photos: E. Doyle). Rand Nature Centre Receives Donation from the GB American Women s Club The Bahamas National Trust recently received a donation from the American Women s Club of Grand Bahama. Grand Bahama s Membership Officer Jinnel Sturridge attended their annual dinner meeting which was held at Ruby Swiss restaurant, to receive the donation. Over 10 service organizations on Grand Bahama were presented with donations to assist them in continuing their crucial services in the community. Sturridge stated that The Grand Bahama American Women s Club has been remarkably supportive of the Rand Nature Centre for almost thirty years, and on an annual basis they generously provide us with a donation to assist in developing the Centre. They value what the Rand Nature Centre brings to the island of Grand Bahama serving as an outdoor classroom for many and we appreciate their annual consideration and donation. The BNT recognizes the contribution of the American Women s Club to furthering awareness about the organization and environmental education on Grand Bahama. The BNT hopes to continue this relationship for many years to come. continued from page 9

9 TrustNotes - Volume 15 Issue 5 - May continued from page 8 Grand Bahama Women s Club Annual Dinner, attended by Jinnel Sturridge, BNT Membership Officer. Support Friends Across the Flyway with The Bahamas National Trust Today The Bahamas National Trust is managing the parks that these Migratory Birds visit. Visit the link below to lend your support.

10 TrustNotes - Volume 15 Issue 5 - May Protection for Sweetings Pond Sweetings Pond presents the unique opportunity to protect a nearly pristine natural area and conserve native seahorses while offering potential ecotourism initiatives supporting the local economy. A current, intensive research program investigating the pond, focusing on its resident seahorse population, provides a basis for science-based management with increasing human use of the ecosystem. Because this population represents the worlds densest population of seahorses the system has great potential, but also management challenges. Seahorses worldwide are under threat from over-harvesting for curios, traditional medicines and increased use of these habitats through poorly-managed tourism. Little is known of the distribution of seahorses in The Bahamas, but recently they were reported in Sweetings Pond, an anchialine lake system near Hatchet Bay. These types of tidal saltwater ponds are fed from the ocean through cracks and underground caverns are well known sites of speciation, with an array of endemic or limited- range organisms. The land surrounding Sweetings Pond is a blend of intact coppice, mangroves, and disturbed sites from past and current farming activities. In addition, the site includes the extensive Hatchet Bay Caves, with over 1.2 miles (2km) of passages, well developed cave features including flowstone and stalactites/stalagmites, and a recorded history dated back to the 1840 s. Both local and tourist visitation to the caves is high and unfortunately currently unregulated, which has led to significant vandalism of cave features. Sweetings Pond contains a diverse array of animals, including seahorses, spider crabs, and octopuses, unusual members of pond assemblages. Originally described in the 1980 s, the pond had remained unstudied over the past 30 years. The seahorses of Sweetings Pond were originally described as the slender seahorse, Hippocampus reidi. However, recent surveys of the seahorses uncovered unique characteristics (shorter tails and longer heads) as compared to seahorses outside the pond. Recently the BNT introduced representatives from the Bahamas Agricultural & Industrial Corporation (BAIC) to Sweetings Pond. The team were able to visit Sweetings Pond and have a special presentation by Dr. Heather Masonjones the primary seahorse researcher. A series of outreach activities including community walkabouts to familiarize people with the site as well as, 5 public community meetings on Eleuthera, a large public presentation at the Bahamas Natural History Conference ( BNHC) in March with over 150 persons in attendance, and classroom visits across Eleuthera have introduced over 500 students to this very unitque area. Based on the results of scientific investigations and community outreach initiatives, Sweetings Pond and Hatchet Bay Caves are highly prioritized for legal protection as a national park. Sweetings Pond is important for the the conservation of seahorses, its geology, and cultural and historical significance. The National Park designation will protect Sweetings Pond and Hatchet Bay Caves from unregulated development and destructive practices such as trash dumping, overharvesting, and opening the lake to the ocean to help ensure a sustainable and viable economy for the Eleutheran community. As a National Park, Seahorse National Park will be protected in perpetuity, preserving essential habitats and ecosystem functions while also safeguarding traditional recreational and commercial uses by local communities. The Bahamas National Trust has received support from many agencies in the preparation of a proposal to declare Sweetings Pond and Hatchet Bay Caves as a National Park. These include The Bahamas Environment Science & Technology (BEST) Commission, Bahamas Agriculture and Industrial Corporation (BAIC), The University of Tampa, Project Seahorse, Bahamas Reef Environment and Education Foundation (BREEF), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).

11 TrustNotes - Volume 15 Issue 5 - May Members Matter Spotlight A special thank you to management and staff of Sagoma Construction International. During the month of May staff members were afforded individual and family memberships thanks to the generosity of their management team. We had the opportunity to speak with Vice President of Sagoma Construction International, Philip Tinnicliff when asked why Sagoma Construction chose to support the BNT and gift their staff with membership he had this to say, Sagoma Construction International is more than happy to have all its staff be members of an organization that focuses on such a noble cause. The work that Bahamas National Trust does is in the best interest of the livelihood and sustainability of the Bahamas. Without the natural beauty of the Bahamas natural resources how would you identify with the Bahamas? The Bahamas natural resources are the very core of everything that make the Bahamas the most amazing place to visit, to live, and to work. It is this reason that we believe everyone should be involved and support the Bahamas National Trust to protect the Bahamas most important resource. Welcome to our conservation family! Event Calendar Summerfication June 23rd, 2018 The Retreat, Village Rd. Nassau, Bahamas Summer Safari June 25th -29th, 2018 The Retreat, Village Rd. Nassau EcoCamp 2018 July 6th-13th, 2018 Andros, Bahamas World Oceans Day Beach Clean-Up South Beach Nassau, Bahamas Bahamas National Trust P. O. Box N-4105, Nassau, The Bahamas Tel: bnt@bnt.bs