PRIME MINISTER DAVIS ADDRESSES BREEF’S ECO-SCHOOLS COORDINATORS WORKSHOP

Prime Minister Philip Davis, Min. Vaughn Miller, and Min. of State Zane Lightbourne with Eco-Schools Bahamas Workshop Participants, and the BREEF’s Executive Director, Casuarina McKinney-Lambert

Prime Minister the Hon. Philip E. Davis delivered the keynote address at BREEF’s Eco-Schools Bahamas annual Coordinators Workshop on Friday, October 6, 2023, at the New Providence Community Centre, under the theme, “Advancing Climate Resilience in The Bahamas.” Hon. Vaughn Miller, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, and Minister of State, Hon. Zane Lightbourne, also brought remarks at the event.

Over 40 educators and participants from Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand Bahama, Long Island, and New Providence attended the workshop. The two-day workshop culminated on Saturday October 7, 2023, with a BREEF 30th Anniversary Snorkel at BREEF’s Coral Reef Sculpture Garden in Clifton Heritage Park.

The Prime Minister underscored the government’s dedication to advocating for compensation for The Bahamas and other Small Island Developing States, vulnerable to climate impacts from major carbon emitters in larger nations.

He noted that as The Bahamas celebrates 50 years of independence in 2023, BREEF is also celebrating 30 years of conservation, recognizing the impact that BREEF has had in the country throughout the years.

“BREEF’s comprehensive approach to protecting our environment – from offering policy recommendations to engaging in hands-on restoration work and collaborating with the international community – has proven invaluable to conservation efforts.

“I commend you for helping to preserve our natural environment for generations of Bahamians to come,” Davis said.

During his official opening remarks, Minister Miller expressed his hope that through the Eco-Schools programme, the next generation of environmental professionals would emerge to confront the challenges posed by climate change and loss of biodiversity.

“To the educators among us, thank you for leading the charge in 44 schools across our archipelago to engage with our young people in a meaningful way regarding our environment,” Miller said.

(L) BREEF’s Executive Director, Casuarina McKinney-Lambert gives certificate to Abaco’s St. Francis de Sales Eco-Schools coordinator, Samantha Johnson (R) at the BREEF Eco-Schools workshop.

Beth Hall, Eco-Schools Coordinator at St. Andrews International School, expressed her optimism, stating, “BREEF gives me hope in today’s world when you only hear bad news when it comes to the environment, and we sit right at sea level, and I want to give our children the best possible advice and up-to-date information on how to fight climate change.”

Thanking the BREEF team, Abaco’s Hope Town Primary School Coordinator Amanda Lightbourn said, “BREEF Eco-Schools Workshop did not disappoint! The workshops are always engaging and informative. It’s always a pleasure learning from the best. They help us acquire new knowledge in a supportive and informative environment, inspiring us to move forward and share it with our students and fellow teachers.”

Cheng Bee Selim-DeLa Pena, Eco-Schools Coordinator at the Bishop Michael Eldon School in Grand Bahama, described the annual workshop as a rejuvenating experience. She expressed, “The annual workshop is like a refuel for me. It allows me to ignite the spark, and the interest I have for the environment to encourage students in our school to become environmental stewards.”

Distinguished speakers included representatives from Waterkeepers Bahamas, The Bahamas Bureau of Standards & Quality, Bahamas Ecology Park Researcher, Drexel Gomez and the Youth Climate Ambassadors of The Bahamas Ashawnte Russell and Stephen Hunter.

(L-R) Minister of Environment, Vaughn Miller, Prime Minister Hon. Philip Davis, BREEF’s Executive Director, Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, Waterkeepers Bahamas Executive Director Rashema Ingraham, Minister of State for the Environment Hon. Zane Lightbourne at the BREEF Eco-Schools workshop.

The second day of the educators workshop included an in-water snorkelling experience at the BREEF Coral Reef Sculpture Garden. This snorkel was also open to the public and all snorkelling spots where Participants were treated to a complimentary snorkelling tour of the vibrant BREEF Coral Reef Sculpture Garden and Nursery, an ecosystem teeming with a rich variety of underwater flora and fauna.

“My first experience with BREEF was as a student on a field trip, and there’s always an amazing difference when you teach the theory in class about coral and marine ecosystems and when you have the students go out and get an increased level of appreciation for it.” Queen’s College Science Teacher, Delreco Bonaby explained.

Students snorkel above the 60 ton Ocean Atlas, the largest underwater sculpture in the world 

First-time snorkelers shared their thoughts after touring the underwater sculpture garden.

“I had a great time! My BREEF instructor was really informative and I think what we learned today about coral reefs and marine ecosystems is general education that every Bahamian should have,” University of The Bahamas student, Yolanda Johnson said.

Another student from the Bahamians, Birds & Botany Club, Taneisha Davis said that this was also her first snorkel. “I was definitely nervous at first but with BREEF I felt safe and I felt like I enjoyed something that I wouldn’t normally consider doing in a safe and fun way,” Taneisha said.

 Bahamians, Birds & Botany Club participate in BREEF public snorkel

“Our vision at BREEF is for a nation where all people appreciate the value of our oceans and everyone takes action to protect them,” stated BREEF Executive Director Casuarina McKinney-Lambert during her opening remarks reflecting of BREEF’s 30th Anniversary and Its Eco-Schools Bahamas programme.

She continued, “Over the years, we’ve reached every school across the country, we’ve had teachers from every school participate in in-water training, and we have been working tirelessly to get our entire community involved in conservation.”

 BREEF Eco-Schools National Operator, Kevin Glinton, (left) gives presentation to teachers at workshop

Eco-Schools Bahamas is part of a global sustainable school programme active in over 79 countries. BREEF’s ESB network spreads over six islands with 19 government and 26 private schools. The workshop allows educators to network, share experiences, and gain valuable information to inspire students toward positive actions to adapt to and combat climate change through their respective programmes. BREEF has been running the Eco-Schools Bahamas programme since 2009.

The workshop was made possible through the generous support of the Primat Foundation, Builders Initiative, the Bloomberg Vibrant Oceans Initiative and Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. To learn more about BREEF’s Eco-Schools Bahamas Programme and its work in promoting the conservation of the Bahamian marine environment, please visit www.breef.org or email ecoschoolsbahamas@breef.org.

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Students Explore Androsian Mangroves & Coral Reefs at BREEF Kamalame Cay Summer Camp

BREEF held a successful 2023 Sea Camp in Andros. Twenty-two students aged 8-14 years from North Andros participated in the annual Kamalame Cay Sea Camp  where they engaged in an immersive outdoor learning experience. 

Sea campers pose for a group shot at Pigeon Cay

Sea Camp is an empowering, educational event in which students embrace the natural environment while having fun. The outdoor classroom is used as a teaching tool, helping students to understand the value of protecting and caring for the ocean. 

Students head off in boat excursion at BREEF Kamalame Cay Sea Camp

Attendees had a chance to understand the critical roles that mangroves and coral reefs play in the Bahamian environment- especially for fisheries, tourism and shoreline protection. Enlightening presentations aboutlocal sea creatures were followed by snorkels and boat expeditions where students were able to identify the marine areas and organisms they learned about during presentations. They also learned about threats facing our marine environment including warming waters that especially affect our fragile Bahamian coral reefs. 

A key component of Sea Camp is teaching children practical water skills that inspire them to be environmental stewards.  BREEF and Kamalame staff along with volunteers showed students how to maneuver in the outdoor environment as they snorkeled through mangroves and around corals while learning about the value of the underwater world around them. 

Camper Dwayne Munnings age 10, shared his thoughts about the hands-on educational excursions students participated in.

“I had a lot of fun learning about the mangroves and fish; and I found lots of interesting things in the ocean,” he said. 

Camper, Dwayne Munnings finds a sand dollar in waters near Staniard Rock

Another camper, Stevenique Johnson, age 10, said that she enjoyed snorkeling with others and learning about new types of fish she had never seen before.

“When we went into the mangroves I didn’t know there were so many fish that live there, I found a lot of interesting things that my teacher told me all about,” she said. 

Camper Stevenique Johnson finds a shell during mangrove snorkel 

Leading camp activities, BREEF Outreach Assistant, Heather Brockbank said her goal was to ensure that students get the opportunity to interact with our marine environment.

“We really like to engage kids from other islands, we want them to snorkel and see what’s under the water and feel comfortable while they are doing it.”

Brockbank continued, “If young people are exposed to the environment they will care more about it and spread the word, not only to their parents but to the community, and use that opportunity to make a difference for the future.” 

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BREEF Outreach Assistant Heather Brockbank teaches campers how to put on snorkeling gear

BREEF Executive Director, Casuarina McKinney-Lambert noted “95% of the territory of The Bahamas is underwater. There is such a tremendous opportunity to use the underwater world as a living classroom and expose children to career opportunities connected with the ocean.” 


BREEF extends their gratitude to Kamalame Cay who hosted camp, and to all of the BREEF volunteers who assisted during the duration of the camp.

To learn more about how you can get involved in BREEF’s marine education programmes,

please visit www.breef.org.

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Bahamian film wins Atlanta Children’s Film Festival Award for short-film on danger of oil exploration and climate change

The passionate voices of Bahamian youth were documented in a short-film written by Eleutheran Deep Creek Middle School students, Taryn McKinney-Lambert and Keion Sands and produced by the well acclaimed filmmaker Kareem Mortimer.

Tayrn (L) and Keion (R) bring in a boat to shore

The two students wrote and narrated the short film, “My Island, My Future” that illustrates how The Bahamas depends on its oceans for survival. The film won first place in the Best Youth Short Documentary category. 

The story surrounds a call to action made by ten-year-old Taryn in a letter to then Prime Minister, Hubert Minnis asking him to hold off on any future oil drilling in the country. 

“I saw that we were starting to do oil drilling in The Bahamas and that is not a good idea. If a spill were to happen, which it will, that would just destroy everything” she said.

Keion Sands, age twelve spoke about the delicate marine eco-systems which would be directly impacted if an oil drilling accident occurs. 

“We need to protect mangroves and coral reefs because they protect us from the waves,” he explained. 

Tayrn (L) Finley (center) and Keion (R) walk through Eleuthera mangroves

In the film, aerial shots of the island of Eleuthera, showcasing its lush greenery and coastal areas play over the voices of the two young environmental advocates. Shots of the narrators and other children interacting with the marine environment were also featured. 

Producer Kareem Mortimer says after the students approached him, he jumped at the opportunity to assist them with the passion project. 

“I am happy to support the next generation of filmmakers and storytellers, and people with something to say in the best way I can. 

“All the credit is deserving to young filmmakers that wanted to tell their story.” Mortimer continued, 

“It’s great that they are able to be recognized at a film festival where people may have never been to The Bahamas before.” 

Sailing vessels in waters near Eleuthera

The film was endorsed by Our Islands, Our Future, a coalition of local and international organizations that was established to support Bahamians who are passionate about protecting their heritage and their livelihoods from oil drilling, and who are calling for a permanent ban on oil drilling in The Bahamas. 

The film can be viewed here: My Island My Future

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Tribute to Mallory the Mermaid

Our dearest Mallory Raphael was an ocean lover who exercised a strong passion for sustainability and was eager to share knowledge about the sea she loved. Although she was always an avid swimmer as a child, it was not until a trip to Hawaii as an adult that she fell in love with diving and the coral reefs. 

She brought a brilliant and inspiring energy to every project she embarked on, most notably BREEF’s Bahamas Environmental Scholars (BESS) programme and the BREEF Sir Nicholas Nuttall Coral Reef Sculpture Garden at Clifton Heritage Park.

Mallory was initially hired to assist in building the Sculpture Garden, which is the largest underwater sculpture garden in the world. However, once the project was completed she was immediately hired as the Research and Environmental Education Officer. 

During her time coordinating the BESS programme, she mentored hundreds of students in marine science and sustainability, many of whom are now practicing environmentalists and marine scientists in the field today.

She made it her mission to educate the youth through hands-on demonstrations that helped them to understand and appreciate the Bahamian waters and everything in it. What she found most rewarding was first-time snorkelers experiencing the ocean firsthand. She was quick to provide encouragement and also useful facts about the fish and invertebrates under the sea. 

Mermaid Mallory’s selfless dedication to her coral “babies” enabled her to cultivate a flourishing coral garden with hundreds of new outplants, creating the framework and foundation for ongoing sustainable initiatives.

BREEF Executive Director Casuarina McKinney-Lambert shared: “ Mermaid Mallory shared her love of the ocean with everyone she met. She was a true ocean advocate.”

Her BREEF family will miss her greatly. 

We invite you to share your memories of Mallory in the comments.

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PADI Women’s Day highlight: Shannen Miller: Diving for Knowledge

Twenty-seven-year-old Bahamian Entrepreneur, Shannen Miller owns her own dive tour company Shannen’s Scuba Safari. In a country where marine and conservation education is limited, she says that expanding Dive Education is essential. 

“Once people start to enjoy interactions with the ocean and marine life they better understand that there is a need to protect and preserve it.”

As a child Shannen was always passionate about marine life and she wanted to be close to the animals she loved so she became a professional dive instructor.

She commends organizations like the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) for teaching people about the thriving Bahamian marine life and beauty of the ocean.

“This is our resource, this is our home, so education pushes the issue of you being more interested or at least more knowledgeable about what’s going on at your home.”

Shannen expressed loving the career she chose, but at times life’s waters got rough. One day she reached her breaking point and was ready to quit, but she reflected on encouragement from PADI.

“I remembered this quote from the last PADI Womn’s Dive Day where they said, “it doesn’t matter how old you are, you can never, not start diving”.” she said.

The young Bahamian entrepreneur decided to take a break for a few months after reassessing her goals. When she returned to the water for a coral restoration dive, she felt rejuvenated and more passionate than ever.

Shannen is now focused on expanding her business and is completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Science. Working in a field dominated by men, she gives this advice to girls who are deciding on the career path,

“The field is for everybody, not just men. You can do it just like them.” 

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PADI Women’s Day highlight: Dominique Bowleg, A Budding Environmental Advocate

Graduating from high school in 2020, Dominique Bowleg said that all of her college application plans came to a screeching halt. Fast forward to today the 19-year-old former BREEF BESS Scholar is now completing her junior year in college abroad. 

This young Bahamian said that after applying for, and being accepted into the BREEF BESS Scholar Program, she regained the momentum she needed to get back on track. 

“The opportunity at BREEF really helped to steer my motivation again and help me to realize why I entered this field,” she said. 

Dominique is studying Marine Biology at Spring Hill College. As she narrows down on exactly what she plans to specialize in, she is taking more classes on the genetic synthesization of coral reefs. 

“That’s one of my passions, so one field I’m looking at is synthetically genetically modifying coral DNA.”

“I know some people say it sounds tough but I find it really interesting and if that works it’s going to be a huge game changer in helping to keep these things long-lasting in their environment. So that’s what I’m focused on at the moment.” she said.

“When I was younger I watched this show called Dolphin Tale and I told my mother that I wanted to do that.” She continued, “When I grew up I realized that a lot of females were not in this field so that’s one more thing that drove me to come more toward this profession.” 

At the end of the day Dominique says she understands that she may face obstacles as a woman working in STEM. However she is not dismayed in the slightest and encourages everyone to be a part of the solution for a more sustainable future. 

The college student explained how she gained a strong love for the ocean and marine life, and what motivates her to work in this field.

“We all need to promote and conserve our environment and once we take gender away from that we can come together and do a better job at protecting the natural resources that we have.”

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PADI Women’s highlight: Aniska Bonaby, A Diver in Uniform

Leading Woman Marine in the Royal Bahamas Defense Force, Aniska Bonaby explained that she was always interested in scuba diving but never had the opportunity to do so until she joined the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.

The maritime field is male dominated and in the RBDF women are also in the minority. However Aniska says that despite the stigmas associated with her strength and abilities, she has pushed herself, while upholding the military-grade standards of the force.

“A lot of people look at females as, they probably can’t do what it is that males can do, but some of the males during my training, they were actually a bit intimidated by me because I could do what they could do.”

Aniska continued, “I kept up and I did better than some of them, not all of them but I was just concerned about being respected in the field and in my career.”

The 36-year-old marine says that she is proud to be an example for other women as a diver and influences them to be more supportive of women who dare to go beyond conformity.

“I’ve had a lot of females come to me, asking me about diving and I try to encourage them as much as possible.”

“I love being underwater. It kinda brings me to a place of tranquility because it’s one of the things that I love that we get to see.” she said.

One of her most notable experiences as a diving marine was a BREEF workshop training she attended. She explains that awareness in the work BREEF does is essential because many locals may see the ocean but never have the opportunity to interact with it.

“I’ve grown up on an island, I’ve grown up in Nassau, I work around water but I never got to really appreciate it until I did the course at BREEF. We did fish ID, learned about the environment, went into the water, went into the mangroves and we got to see it all.”

She continued, “I was a little more educated about the environment and also the dangers especially as it relates to the coral reef and how important coral reefs are.” 

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Environmental students inspire community to “Invest in Our Planet” at BREEF Earth Day beach event

Nassau, Bahamas – The Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) commemorated Earth Day 2023 with a Beach Cleanup and poster competition on Delaporte Beach in Western New Providence. 

Photo 1: Students from St. Augustine’s College participate in Beach cleanup

This year’s Earth Day theme was “Invest in our planet” a message that encourages all sectors of society to be accountable in taking responsibility for the well-being of the planet and future generations. 

Over fifty students from across New Providence gathered at Delaporte Beach on West Bay Street where they were all able to participate as citizen scientists through the collection and reporting of trash along the shoreline. Students also took part in a poster competition.

Photo 2: Sandilands Primary student records trash data collection

The Earth Day event inspired students to take action through conservation activities as they worked with Youth Climate Ambassador and former BREEF BESS Scholar, Ashawnte Russell who participated and spoke about the importance of the compound effect of small actions, such as regular beach clean ups. “Little initiatives matter, beach cleanups, planting trees…these are the steps we will have to adopt in order to have our country for future generations.” 

Photo 3: St. Augustine’s College Students participate in beach cleanup. 

University of The Bahamas Environmental Club president, Makeda Serju shared that she was inspired by the event, explaining the events such as these are a great way to inspire our community.

“It  is important to clean our environment not just for the tourists but for the locals as well, and it encourages others to participate as well”. She continued, that “If we don’t invest in our planet now, we will definitely suffer later.”

Photo 4: Students participate in poster competition at Delaporte Beach

Minister of the Environment, The Hon. Vaughn  P. Miller  made an appearance at the event and spoke with students about the importance of their actions in preserving their environment. Also coming out to support students, Former Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for the Killarney Constituency, Dr. Hubert Minnis.

Photo 5: Minister of the Environment, Vaughn Miller poses with BREEF BESS Scholars Gayle Burrows (left) and Asia Butler (right) at BREEF Earth Day 2023 event. 

Photo 6: Former Prime Minister and Killarney MP Dr. Hubert Minnis (center) poses for a photo with BREEF BESS Scholars Gayle Burrows (left) and Asia Butler (right) at BREEF Earth Day 2023 event. 

Marine environmental education is essential, according to BREEF Executive Director Casuarina McKinney-Lambert who noted that The Bahamas is greatly affected by what happens in its waters.

“The Young Reporters for the Environment programme challenges young people to look at the ocean and the land around them, identify challenges and  solutions, and think about effective ways of communicating about what’s going on in the ocean around us,” she said.

Photo 7: Group photo of the participants at the Earth Day Beach Cleanup and Poster Competition

The Young Reporters for the Environment programme was launched in The Bahamas with the support of a grant from the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme. Additional support has been provided by Lombard Odier and Rolex to enable children around The Bahamas to get involved with the Young Reporters for the Environment programme.  A special thanks goes out to Bahamas Waste for their commitment and donation supporting BREEF’s work in promoting the conservation of the Bahamian marine environment, please visit www.breef.org or email breef@breef.org for more information.

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St John’s College kicks off Eco-Schools assessments in the capital in grand style

Nassau, Bahamas – The Eco-School Club at St. John’s College in New Providence received their third green flag on Monday, becoming the first Eco-School to be given the honor this year. The green flag is the top level award recognized as a global symbol of excellence in environmental education and practice. 

Students headed off the “Road to Green Flag” initiative with guidance from their teachers, organizing events and campaigns throughout the two-year span for the green flag renewal. Gardening, flora and fauna education, community cleanups, energy conservation and recycling were some of the ways students exercised sustainable practices on their school campus.

The green flag assessment is a part of BREEF’s Eco-Schools Programme that oversees the network of 43 recognized schools in The Bahamas. Schools that tick the boxes to qualify the eco-friendly criteria are awarded with the distinction of being a green flag school.

St John’s Eco-Schools Club member, and winner of BREEF’s 2022 Young Reporters for the Environment Competition, 12-year-old Eliana Bowe shared her excitement in being a part of the Eco-Schools Programme. 

“It’s good to learn more about the environment and try to give back to it rather than just enjoying it. This opportunity helps us to share our knowledge about the environment and also learn more about it,” she said. 

Raising awareness about sustainable practices like recycling and energy conservation are actions that many more students in the country can empower themselves by doing, according to 14-year-old Eco Club member, Teasia Munroe.

“We have to take the time to research and figure out what’s really going on. In the Eco Club it’s our duty to lead by example to educate others so they would know how they can help to make the country a better place,” she explained.

Biodiversity being one of the key parts of the green flag assessment, gardening and being able to identify different types of plants are a big part of the St. John’s Eco Club activities. After leading the garden tour, 13-year-old Eco-Club member, D’Anthen Rolle Davis said that in the future he hopes that all schools would engage students in programmes that promote sustainability.

“I think every school should join in on this programme because we learn about the big negative effects that the little things like throwing a paper on the floor can have in the long term.” He continued, “You have to know what’s happening in your environment and how you can help to save the world.”

The teachers sat back as students took the reins during the presentation, to be assessed by BREEF Eco-Schools National Operator, Kevin Glinton and Commonwealth Brewery Sustainability Manager Kendria Ferguson. The youngsters spoke about their collaborations with other school clubs that resulted in an increased level of awareness and Eco Club membership.

BREEF’s Eco-Schools Bahamas (ESB) network is spread over six islands and consists of 43 schools (18 government and 25 private schools). Since 2009 the BREEF has been running the ESB programme free of charge through the generous support of many BREEF donors including the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. SJC is one of 14 Green Flag schools in the programme.

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