Trust Notes

May 2012 Trust Notes 1

The Newsletter of The Bahamas National Trust May 2012 Issue 8 No.1

BNT AGM March Council MeetingsThe Bahamas National Trust held their Annual General Meeting and Spring Council March 29 – 31. President Neil McKinney gave an overview of our work highlighting major events such as the opening of the Levy Preserve in Eleuthera, the BNT’s participation in the Living Ocean’s Expedition and the ongoing educational initiatives of the organization. Of specifi c concern to the BNT is the sustainability of our marine resources. The President ended his overview with a commit-ment by the BNT to work with the Department of Marine Resources with regards to conch conservation as well as promoting the con-tinued closed season for grouper. The BNT also recognized two outstanding volunteers. Mr. Stephen Connett for his work in taking BNT educational programmes to the Southern Bahama Islands and the develop-ment of the Sea Turtle research programme which provides an unbelievable experience for BESS Interns during their time at the BNT. Mrs. Olga Stokes was recognized for her sup-port of BNT education and outreach activities. Mrs. Stokes has taken photographs of many of the national parks and greatly expanded the photographic resources of the organiza-tion. The BNT was pleased to honor these individuals for their support of the Bahamas National Trust. The BNT Council met on Friday and Sat-urday to discuss the business of the Trust.

Neil McKinney, PresidentLawrence Glinton, Deputy PresidentShirley Cartwright, SecretaryMichael Albury, Elected MemberGlenn Bannister, Elected MemberKelley Bostwick-Toote, Elected MemberAlastair Chisnall, Elected MemberAndy Fowler, Elected MemberJanet Johnson, Elected MemberAmanda Lindroth, Elected MemberKarin Sanchez, Elected MemberPeter Stokes, Elected Member

Barbara Thompson, Elected MemberTeresa Butler, Governor–General’s RepresentativeNakira Wilchecomber, Governor–General’s

RepresentativeMichael Braynen, Representative Ministry of

Agriculture and Marine ResourcesPatricia Collins, Ministry of EducationEarlston McPhee, Ministry of TourismChristopher Russell, Ministry of the EnvironmentDan Brumbaugh, PhD, American Museum of

Natural History

Nancy Clum, PhD, Wildlife Conservation SocietyMatthew Jeffrey, National AudubonMark Lewis, US National Park ServicePamela Reid, PhD., University of MiamiValerie Paul PhD. Smithsonian InstitutionBetsy Vogel Bose, PhD, College of The Bahamas To be appointed: University of FloridaScientifi c Advisors: Karen Bjorndal, PhD, University of FlordiaAlan Bolten, PhD, Archie Carr Center for Sea

Turtle Research

BNT Council 2012 – 2013

National Park System Expanded

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In 2009 - to mark the 50th anniversary of Th e Bahamas National Trust - the government announced its intention to signifi cantly expand our national park system.

Th e BNT was directed to continue wide-spread public consultation on the areas that were to be set aside, and in March 2012 these areas were offi cially designated by Environment Minister Earl Deveaux.

Th ey included a new park at Fowl Cays in the Abacos; an expansion of the Conception Island National Park, and an expansion of the Andros West Side National Park. With the ad-dition of these new territories, the BNT became responsible for a total of 1.4 million acres of protected land and sea areas.

According to Minister Deveaux, “Included in the BNT’s mandate is the duty to advise gov-ernment of new areas that are key to the bio-

diversity of the country and to the sustainable livelihood of citizens. National parks are created to enhance the quality of life of all Bahamians. We invite you to use and enjoy them wisely.”

Fowl Cays National Park - 1920 acresTh e marine area between Scotland Cay and

Man o’ War Cay has long been a popular rec-reational site. Th is park is particularly attractive to divers, boaters and snorkellers. It has great value as a “spillover” area, whereby surround-ing habitat is enriched because of the park’s protection. In addition to fi sh, rays and sponges, the park is home to endangered Staghorn and Elkhorn coral, along with 12 other coral species.

Conception Island National Park - 2,100 acresTh is remote Island was one of three Bahami-

2 Trust Notes Issue 8 No 1

FundraisinG

Third Annual Art for the Parks supports Abaco’s six National ParksTh e Bahamas National Trust has been busy over the past several months with a number of events and fundraisers. January 2012 saw the third annual Art for the Parks in Abaco

hosted by the Abaco Beach Resort . Over 30 artists displayed their work at the weekend event which featured not only art but a Fresh Market on the Saturday as well as a Herit-age Speakers’ area which featured talks on the Bahama Parrot, Abaco’s Amazing Blue Holes and Backyard Farming. Th e BNT also sponsored a school Art Competition “Con-servation Can’t Wait “ with Antoine Edmond of Abaco Central High being the overall win-ner. Th e Art competition was sponsored by Abaco Gold.

Cuban Pig Roast 2012Friends and patrons of the Trust came to-gether in February to celebrate the work of the BNT at the annual Cuban Pig Roast held at the Maillis Farm. Th is popular fundraiser, reminiscent of aft ernoon family parties that were held on farms in Cuba, features a tra-ditional Cuban Menu of roasted pigs and traditional side dishes. Th e pigs are roasted by Manuel Cutillas and his team of Chefs with Mrs. Cutillas providing the black beans and Alexandra Lynch the additional catering support. Food, Fun and Dancing continued throughout the aft ernoon. BNT Member Bruce Raine is such a fan of the event that this year he organized a 24-seater bus for the residents at the eastern end of the island. “We really enjoy this event” said Bruce “Next year I hope we have to organize two buses.” Th e event raised over $20,000 which will support infrastructure at the Primeval Forest National Park.

Golden Oldies NightIn March, BNT members enoyed a night of nostalgia dancing to sounds from the 50’s through 90’s at the Golden Oldies Night. Th e pavilion was transformed into Disco Dream by Jim White-head with music provided by DJ Jose Ageeb. According to Natasha Wright, BNT Director of Development, this is just the fi rst of a series of events the membership offi ce has planned for the year. Over $2,000 was raised to support the BNT’s ongoing education programmes while providing everyone with a good time.

Film Premier Benefits BNTEmmy award winning producer George C. Schellenger along with famed artists Dr. Guy Harvey, Wyland and Jim Abernethy organized a special premier showing of their documentary fi lm THIS IS YOUR OCEAN: SHARKS at Cobb Th eatres Downtown 16 at Downtown at the Gardens in Palm Beach Gardens,Forida. Th e exclusive premier screening hosted by Mr. Schellenger, Mr. Abernethy & Dr. Harvey featured a meet & greet reception immediately following the screening as well as an auction for original works of art from Wyland, Jim Abernethy and Dr. Harvey. All of the net proceeds of the event and auction were donated to the Bahamas National Trust raising over $8,000 for our work as stewards of one of the world’s last shark sanctuaries.

Cinco de MayoTh e BNT and the Mexican Community came together on May 5 for a special Mexican Fiesta bringing a taste of Mexico to Th e Retreat Garden. Th e event off ered Mexican Food , drink and music as well as Mexican handicraft s. BNT Director of Development, Natasha Wright says she was very pleased with the event and said, “We had a number of new members sign up as well as members renewing their membership. “Yvette Coakley who signed up for membership at the event was the lucky winner of a 4 day / 3 night stay at Atlantis .

Overall Winner in Conservation Can’t Wait Student Art Competition was Antoine Edmond, Abaco Central High


The Council received three informational presentations: Roger McManus updated the Council on the Perry Marine Institute and he discussed the possibility of a partnership with the BNT; Shaun Ingraham spoke on the One Eleuthera Foundation and their vision for the island of Eleuthera; and Mr. Simon Potter of Bahamas Petroleum gave an overview of the Bahamas Petroleum’s interest and work so far in The Bahamas. The most substantive issue faced by the Council was the Hutia Population in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. Hutia’s, which were accidentally introduced to Ward-erick Wells, are rapidly defoliating the island. Hutias which were thought to be extinct were rediscovered on East Plana Cay and relocated to Little Wax Cay. Without natural predators, the voracious herbivores are changing the plant biodiversity in the park. The Council decided to form an ad hoc Hutia Manage-ment Committee whose fi rst step will be to invite the IUCN Mammal Specialist group to visit and assess and provide recommenda-tions for management of the Hutia. BNT’s Policy will be one of containment keeping the Hutia’s only on Little Wax Cay and Warderick Wells until a formal Management Plan can be formulated.

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BNT Presentation to Corporate Abaco Presentations on the work of the Bahamas National Trust have been given to several businesses and civic groups on Abaco. Em-ployees of these organizations heard fi rst hand about the role of BNT, details on the 6 national Parks located on Abaco, Discovery Club Pro-gramme, Membership drive and volunteer opportunities.

Parrot Presentations at Treasure Cay and Bahama Palm ShoresBNT along with biologist Caroline Stahala gave presentations to residents of Treasure Cay Property Owners Association and Baha-ma Palm Shores. Th e talk was on Bahama Par-rot, the BNT vision for the ANP and general conservation eff orts. Executive Management Eric Carey and Lynn Gape joined BNT Abaco Team for the meeting held at Treasure Cay.

Monthly Bird Walk Draws numbersBNT Abaco continues to organize Monthly Bird Walks. Th e walks serve two purposes, one being building the birding skills of indi-viduals especially those who took the Nature Tour Training Course facilitated by the BNT. It also provides the opportunity to monitor types of birds seen on Abaco throughout the year and the health of various habitats.

BNT at Agribusiness ExpoBNT Abaco exhibited at the Second Bi-annual All Abaco Agricultural Ma-rine Resources & Agribusiness Expo April 27 & 28, 2012. Th e Th eme for the event was “Progressing in Food Security”. Th e BNT Booth was busy interacting with teachers and stu-dents providing information on the

six national parks on Abaco. It was also an excellent opportunity for the BNT to promote the recently completed Conceptual Plan for the Abaco National Park and the Volunteer Work Day in the Park.

BNT Earth Day School PresentationsIn recognition of Earth Day, BNT Abaco conducted school presentations to six pri-mary schools on Abaco. Th e main focus of the presentations was the Abaco Parrot which covered the behaviour of the ground nesting

parrot. Caroline Stahala, Avian Biologist was the main presenter. Over one thousand stu-dents attended these presentations that took place from April 25 – 27, 2012.

Volunteer Work Day in the Abaco National Park Th e BNT held its fi rst work day in the Abaco National Park on May 5. Volunteers worked on clearing trails and a picnic area. Over 60 volunteers travelled to the park to begin the work. Students from Abaco Central High, Cyber Learning Centre, Abaco Central High, Forest Heights Academy and S.C. Bootle’s Discovery Club with their classmates came together to begin the work in the Abaco Na-tional Park. It was a great beginning and the BNT Abaco team will be planning more work days in the future.

BNT on the move in Abaco

an islands visited by Columbus in 1492, and was made a national park in 1964. It is an important nesting site for sea turtles and seabirds, and was designated an Important Bird Area in 2002.

A vast Montastraea reef lies to the north of the island and is the largest continuous example of such habitat in the Caribbean (more than four times larger than the island itself). Such reefs support a rich biodiversity. Th e island’s lagoon is a key nursery habitat for groupers and lobster.

Andros Westside National Park - 1.2 mil-lion acres

Th e fi ve national parks in Andros form the largest protected area in Th e Bahamas. Th ey include blue holes, land crab habitats, portions of the Andros Barrier Reef, pine forest, a portion of the Andros freshwater lens, and large areas of the mangrove wetlands that are important fi sh nurseries. Th e barrier reef is unique in the region because of its large area, luxuriant coral growth, and low incidence of disease. Th e West Side National Park is an important feeding area for the endangered West Indian Flamingo. It is relatively undisturbed and ecologically impor-tant to the island of Andros and to the wider Bahamas.


Starbucks participates in the Acts of Green ChallengeStarbucks joined forces with the Baha-mas National Trust to take Action for the Planet on Saturday, April 21st by clear-ing invasive cattails from Harrold and Wilson Ponds National Park. “Starbucks staff and management were pleased to volunteer and help the BNT at Harrold and Wilson Ponds National Park” said Dino Matsas, Starbucks Operations Manager. “We like for our staff to get actively involved with the organizations we support and volunteering at the park helped us understand the role of the BNT as our national parks manager and experience some of the challenges they face in managing our protected areas.” The team was back in action again at The Retreat on April 28th, generally cleaning and clearing paths at the BNT headquarters on Village Road as part of their continuing Earth Day commitment to take positive action for the planet. A Special Celebration of the Acts of Green Challenge was held after the cleanup. “We wanted to encourage our members and friends to take at least one action that will help our planet , “said Natasha Wright Director of De-velopment.“ Participants could plant a tree, pledge to turn out lights, or join an organization like the Bahamas National Trust. Check out the BNT –Acts of Green Challenge on Facebook.


National ParksLevy Preserve grows in popularity

Th e Levy Preserve which just celebrated its 1st Anniversary on March 24, 2012 continues to grow in popularity amongst the local community. On March 1, Minis-try of Tourism held their annual ‘Th ank You/Meet and Greet’ event for the Second Homeown-ers of Central Eleuthera at the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve. On March 17 Haynes Library in Gover-nor’s Harbour Eleuthera, held their Eighteenth Annual Silent Auction at the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve. Over 147 persons were in attendance.

Th e Chargé d’ Aff aires of the U.S. Em-bassy in New Providence, accompanied by two members from the Embassy, visited the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve on March 27. Th ey were greeted and taken on a short tour by Ms. Shelby White, Dr. Ethan Fried, Eric Carey and Mark Daniels.

Th e very popular morning radio talk Show Immediate Response with Host-ess Chrissy Love, was aired live from the Education Pavilion at the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve on March 23 and 30. Featured guest included: Ms. Shelby White (Trustee of the Leon Levy Founda-tion); Dr Ethan Freid (Botanist); Eric Carey

(BNT Executive Director), Mark Daniels (Preserve Manager), Shaun Ingraham; Howard Johnson (FNM candidate for South Eleuthera), Mrs. D. Deal (Gover-

nor’s Harbour Primary School Discovery Club Leader), Diane Carey (Tarpum Bay Primary Discovery Club Leader), Ms. Glenda Johnson (Ministry of Tourism), Mrs. Juanita Pinder (President of the Eleuthera Can-cer Society) and

Discovery Club member, Nikita Deal. Chrissy Love promoted the Bahamas

National Trust and their work as conserva-tionists, preserving natural resources of the archipelago of the Bahamas.

Jammin’ for Nature – Earth Day Weekend 2012

Earth Day weekend! April 20-22, 2012, the BNT / Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve joined the One Eleuthera Foundation and in presenting “Jammin’ for Nature – Earth Day Weekend 2012 Live from Eleuthera.

On Saturday, BNT staff were at the park with a special arts and craft s table. Young people enthusiastically made beauti-ful craft s celebrating Earth Day and the

beautiful island of Eleuthera. On Sunday, Earth

Day, the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve was the main focus for the fi rst part of the day. In spite of early rain, guests arrived at the Preserve for a lovely brunch to be entertained by Gospel singer, Brendalee Petty who sang a special song about the Preserve and at the request of Shelby White gave a

lovely rendition of Amazing Grace. Beauti-ful pieces of sculpted casuarina wood by Antonius Roberts decorated the Preserve.

Th e Levy Preserve staff were busy in the months before the event making benches from casuarina and mulching casuarinas for the Eleuthera Heritage Trail.


BNT trains Eco Divers in AbacoTh e Bahamas Nation-

al Trust (BNT) recently facilitated an Eco Diver training course in Aba-co for 7 certifi ed Scuba Divers to assist in moni-toring Abaco Marine Protected Areas. Th e BNT is implementing a grant project entitled “Development and Ef-fective Management of Marine Protected Areas in the Abaco’s”. Th e project which is being implemented by the BNT will develop management plans for the six marine protected areas in Abaco, build capacity for the use of GIS Technology, provide training for pro-tected area managers (BNT, Department of Marine Resources (DMR)), improve commu-nity involvement, and increase local capacity to assist with evaluation and monitoring.

Th e Eco Diver training course was the fi rst step in increasing local capacity to assist in monitoring Abaco’s marine protected areas. Participants were trained in coral reef moni-toring protocols that are recognized inter-nationally and facilitated by the Reef Check Foundation. Th e Reef Check Foundation is an international non-profi t organization dedicat-ed to the conservation of specifi c ecosystems including tropical coral reefs.

Participants in the course held in Abaco included representatives from Bahamas Cus-toms, Department of Marine Resources, Baha-mas Marine Mammal Research Organization, Dive Guana and BNT Staff from the Abaco

and New Providence Offi ces. Th e training course included classroom lectures, written exams and practical fi eld dives, followed by Reef Check Surveys at Th e Pillars and Grouper Alley reefs located within the new Fowl Cays National Park.

Th e participation of local volunteers is criti-cal to managing the health of coral reefs in Th e Bahamas. Designating “marine protected areas” supports reef sustainability, however there needs to be a system of reef monitoring to measure the eff ects of overfi shing, sedi-mentation (dredging), pollution and global climate change. Monitoring changes through data collection within a reef’s ecosystem is necessary for reef survival and overall health.

Formal reef check training insures that ac-curate information is reported and that data can be compared to analyze any changes that reefs may have experienced over time.

Reef Check Teams visit sites documenting fi sh, invertebrates and sub-strate types that have been measured out in a grid like fashion. Teams regroup aft er dives to review the collected data to ensure accuracy before leaving the site, subse-quently submit survey data to be included in a global coral reef monitor-ing database.

Th e recent training in Abaco raises the number of certifi ed Eco Divers trained in the Reef Check methodology to 24, with 5 of those being certifi ed as Reef Check trainers. Th e

training of trainers session conducted earlier this year in New Providence was supported by funding from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) full sized project “Building a Sustainable Network of Marine Protected Areas”.

Th e marine protected area project for Abaco is being supported by grant funding from Th e United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – Caribbean Environment Pro-gramme (CEP), Th e Caribbean Marine Pro-tected Area Management Network & Forum (CaMPAM) and Th e Italian Government with local assistance from Dive Guana Enterprises.

For more information on the Reef Check EcoDiver programme visit www.reefcheck.org. For more information about the Bahamas National Trust and how you can get involved visit www.bnt.bs or like their Facebook page (Bahamas National Trust).

The SAC Alumnae Association working with the BNT has embarked upon the restoration of the school pond in front of the Administration building. The BNT Team began the work at S t. Augustine's College during the Easter break and have been doing a great job in ensuring that the timeline is adhered too and minimal damage occurs on site. The fi rst phase of the project was the excavation and removal of the cattails from the pond which took about two days. Thanks to Spurtree Trucking the cattails were removed along with other invasive plants. A part of the ponds retaining wall had to be destroyed in order to allow access into the pond. After this process the team spearheaded by Lindy Knowles & Regina Smith, removed the

excess cattails out of the pond and began clearing up the debris. The restoration plan includes a pavilion, look out deck, benches around the pond, and replanting native fl ora such as buttonwood & sea grape.

Further plans include:• Repairing the pond wall; which is underway

with the assistance of Desmond Jolly and Steven Wright

• Removal of additional plant debris and rocks

• Landscaping the area• Hosting a volunteer day with Alumni and

students to clean up, paint and plant.

St. Augustine’s Alumnae Acts of Green


Abaco Parrot Population IncreasingThe BNT in conjunction with Dr. Frank Riviera and Caroline

Stahala recently conducted an intensive survey of the Bahama Parrot on Abaco.

Population surveys were conducted in 2002 resulted in estimates of the Abaco parrot population of about 2,500 parrots with similar values in the following years

This year Dr. Frank Rivera and Caroline Stahala, who took part in the initial surveys, helped by BNT wardens and volunteers, conducted a 10-year follow-up survey to determine any changes in the Abaco parrot population since management began. The results indicate that the Abaco parrot population has in-creased since the BNT’s manage-ment efforts were implemented with a new estimate of just over 4,000 parrots on Abaco.

The BNT has been concerned about the Bahama Parrot population since the 1980’s. Studies indicated that the ma-jor threat to the parrots were feral cats who cause serious

problems to the parrots during the nesting season by entering the underground nesting cavities and killing the breeding adults and chicks. The BNT implemented an intensive predator control effort in 2009 throughout the parrot nesting area, culminating in the hiring of Marcus Davis as Abaco National Park park warden whose pri-

mary responsibility is to oversee the predator control programme. During the breeding seasons

we have seen a decrease in the number of breeding parrots killed and nest success increase. The question,

though, remained whether this effort would translate into an increase in the Abaco parrot population size.Survey results indicated that predator control has led to

increase in nest success. In addition, the Abaco parrots have also weathered several hurricanes (Frances, Jeanne, Irene) over the last 10 years and still appear to show a population increase. Hopefully with continued management efforts a healthy and viable endemic parrot population on Abaco will continue to thrive.

Discovery Club holds Camping Activities The BNT’s Discovery Clubs have been very busy over the past several months earning their camp-ing badges. In March over 100 Discovery Club Explorers came together at The Retreat Garden for their one -night camping experience. Participants represented clubs at Summit Academy, Oakes Field Primary, St. Andrew’s International School, Temple Christian Academy, Our Ladies Catholic Primary and Queen’s College and were chaperoned by Discovery Leaders and parents. The Explorers sharpened their wilder-ness skills by practicing tent pitching and take down skills, knot tying and how to roll up sleeping bags. One of the goals of the camp was to have members of different clubs meet each other. The Inagua Discovery Club Unit participated in two one-night camps on January 28 and March 23, respectively. The camps were held on North West Point Beach, Inagua. The members conducted a beach clean up and also enhanced their camping

skills by pitching tents, rolling sleeping bags, and roasting marshmallows. In April over 150 Guardian Level Discovery Club members came together for their two-day camp at the Maillis Farm at Adelaide. The young people engaged in a Sea Shore Ecology Activity, conducted a Marine Debris Survey, practiced knot tying, and were treated to a special tour of the farm by Mr. Maillis. Storytelling around the fi re was everyone’s favourite experience and a thunderstorm, which moved in on Saturday evening had everyone practicing their survival skills! Thirteen members of the Tarpum Bay Discov-ery Club camped on the beach for one night on the fi rst weekend in May. The camp’s emphasis was on developing camping skills, campfi re building and fi re safety. Club members also got in some fi shing time and were successful in catching seven Gray Snappers. The group was accompanied by their club leaders and Mark Daniels from the Levy Preserve and Director of Education Portia Sweeting.

8 Trust Notes

Bahamas National Trust

P O Box N-4105 Nassau, The BahamasTel: 393-1317

www.bnt.bs | [email protected]

Printed on 30% post-consumer waste product

Th e Bahamas National Trust recently rec-ognized Bahamas Waste for their corporate support of the BNT by providing waste collec-tion for national park cleanups and restoration activities as well supporting our infrastructure needs for special events.

According to Lynn Gape, Deputy Execu-tive Director of the BNT “Th eir donation of waste collection at national park work days and at our special events helps to reduce costs. Th e BNT and we are happy to recognize their ongoing support.”

Bahamas Waste handles more than a third of all waste produced in New Provi-dence each year, servicing more than 1,000 commercial and residential customers. Th e company opened its million dollar biodiesel facility, an investment that will allow for the manufacturing of up to one million gallons of waste cooking oil into biodiesel each year. Waste cooking oil is collected from McDon-ald’s, Burger King, KFC, and Wendy’s restur-

ants in Nassau then processed and converted on site for fuel for Bahamas Waste trucks and other stationary equipment. Currently four trucks are using a 50:50 blend of biodiesel to petroleum diesel; the company hopes to even-tually run its entire fl eet on 100% biodiesel as production increases. Th e company has also introduced cardboard recycling. For more information about Bahamas Waste and its services check out www.bahamaswaste.com.

Bahamas WastereceivesBNT award

From left: Robert Evans, Franny deCardenas, Disa Campbell, Neil McKinney, Peter Andrews, Lynn Gape and Eric Carey

The BNT in conjunction with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism con-ducted a tour guide training programme on Grand Bahama in March. Twenty persons successfully completed that course which included bird identifi cation, tour guide training, business skills and ecosys-tem familiarization. The course was facilitated by Lynn Gape, Deputy Executive Director and Predensa Moore, Science Offi cer.

Shorebird Workshop for Andros StudentsTh e Bahamas National Trust and Audubon have teamed up to make

things better for shorebirds in Th e Bahamas. Fift een Andros students from Fresh Creek Primary and Central Andros High participated in a Shorebird Immersion Camp at FORFAR Field Station facilitated by Director of Education, Portia Sweeting, Science Offi cer, Predensa Moore and BNT Warden Wavell Hanna.

Th e Students learned about the coastal ecosystem which provides the foraging and nesting habitat for many shorebirds, acquired shorebird identifi cation skills as well as shorebird monitoring protocols. Classroom ses-sions on shorebird identifi -cation and invasive species were combined with fi eld experience as the students visited the rocky shore and collected specimens to be examined at the wet lab at the station and conducted point counts and sites along the shore.

Students discussed how Th e Bahamas should deal with issues that threaten shorebirds such as coastal pollution and invasive plant species such as the casuarina by participating in a role-playing exercise where they assumed the

roles of government ministers and conservation agencies.Th e BNT will continue working with the students to increase their

skills so that they can support monitoring eff orts for species such as the endangered Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus). Recent surveys indicate that Th e Bahamas may be one of the most important winter-ing areas for this critically endangered species.

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