BREEF ON SAN SALVADOR

October 1998 Table of Contents - Current Issue of The Abaco Journal - Abaco Bahamas' Home Page

BREEF 2 WORKSHOP ON SAN SALVADOR

Over the summer vacation three teachers from Abaco were sponsored by the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation to attend its second annual workshop on the island of San Salvador. This intensive workshop took place from 28th June to 8th July. Mary McKenzie from Treasure Cay primary, Susan Parotti from Forest Heights Academy and Giselle Salandy from St Francis de Sales joined over 30 other teacher from Grand Bahama, New Providence, Eleuthera, Andros, Mayaguana, Cat Island and Inagua. the workshop participants were sharing living quarters and classroom time with Mr John Burrows and Mr Hamlin Newbold, representatives from the Ministry of Education, Mr Mario Rolle from Fisheries, Lt Kenneth Forbes from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and Monique Clarke and Kathy Oliver, both from the Bahamas National Trust. The lecturers on the course were Dr Garry McKenzie, Dr Carol Landis of Ohio State University and Dr Carmine Trisler of Wittenburg University. The group followed a rigorous schedule which began early each morning with communal breakfast a 7.30. Afterwards would come travel to various beaches to gain practical experience on what was studied in class. The beach activities covered topics such as soil erosion, wave movements, plant and animal identification and pollution. Following the beach studies would be snorkeling exercises in which participants would duly note and observe various types of fish, coral and algae. During these field trips the group visited Sand Dollar Beach, Linsey Beach, East Beach and Grotto Beach, eventually snaking their way along most of the San Salvador coastline.

The BREEF 2 Workshop sought to make participants aware of the interdependence of man and his earth, of land and sea. The group was treated to a lecture by fellow participant Hamlin Newbold on mangroves. Mr Newbold took the fit and not so fit members on what he described as a "short eight minute walk" to see firsthand and no doubt test whether the class members were listening to the ways to differentiate amongst the red, black, white and purple varieties. When the first group eventually arrived after some 15 - 20 minutes of brisk walking, they were able to apply their knowledge to the task at hand.

On the southern side of the island, a short visit was made to a cave in which the more adventurous of the group had to grope their way down the small entrance in order to see the small pond of water which had accumulated in the cave, and to observe the stalactites, stalagmites and columns.

The Sunday before the end of the workshop, the organisers arranged with the local Club Med to take the group on one of their catamarans for a morning of snorkeling. Some sea-weary participants opted to remain on board and enjoy their respite from class work simply "chilling out".

The morning beach activities would normally run for three hours after which time the group would return to the field station for lunch and a short rest, then lectures again until 5.30 dinner, to return again for the last of the evening lectures from 7 - 9 pm.

The Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation, headed by Sir Nicholas Nuttall, seeks to provide Bahamians with the latest data, information and scientific evidence pertaining to our world-wide ecology and in particular our own Bahamian environment. BREEF was founded to preserve the foundation of the Bahamas' economy, our coral reefs, and our fisheries which are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Already ten per cent of corals world wide are lost and all others are imperiled due to pollution, erosion, clumsy tourism practices, bleaching and coral diseases. So far, ten coral diseases have been identified in The Bahamas. Our reefs have managed to survive but we must think about our future. It is to be hoped that a public aware of the irresponsible harvesting of the sea will demand that their resources be sustainable, so that what we depend on today will exist for future generations of Bahamians to enjoy.

The BREEF 2 Workshop was a significant learning experience for the Abaco teachers, particularly since there was plenty of information sharing among the various islands. The teachers had to make group presentations at the end of the course and many new and interesting ways to teach specific topics were learned. The study of methods to sustain and conserve our natural treasures may be the best way to ensure a prosperous and healthy Bahamas of the future. It is hoped that at least one teacher from every school in The Bahamas will eventually attend a BREEF workshop to learn as much about our island environment in order to pass this knowledge on and so protect our proud legacy.

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