NASSAU, BAHAMAS – While some festivalgoers were busy sampling food, others were getting a taste of something different – conservation.
The Baha Mar Foundation teamed up with environmental groups to show visitors how they’re helping to protect The Bahamas’ natural beauty.
Foundation Director of Conservation and Sustainability Bradley Watson says it’s an important part of what they do.
Bradley Watson – Director of Conservation and Sustainability, Baha Mar Foundation
“ We’re thinking about coral, and we’re thinking about natural spaces, particularly Harland Wilson’s Pond. And so we have the BNT here, and they’re giving out samples of teas made from native plants…”
There was also plenty to learn.
The Bahamas National Trust was serving up native teas , while also sharing information about protecting places like Wilson’s Pond.
However, BNT Corporate and Donor Relations Officer Alexis Hanna says none of this work can happen without support.
Alexis Hanna – BNT Corporate and Donor Relations Officer
“Organizations like the Baha Mar Foundation are so needed in nonprofit and the way that we conduct our work. You know, we can’t do it without partners like the Baha Mar Foundation, and them coming alongside us for something like this is really, really important.”
Also represented was the Perry Institute for Marine Science, who has been working with Baha Mar on a project just off the property.
Coral Technician Taylor Walters tells us what they’ve been working on.
Taylor Walters – Coral Technician, Perry Institute for Marine Science
“We have an eco reef right, outside of the hotel in the water where we have 376 micro fragments of coral, two species of finger coral and two species of brain coral.”
However, getting the coral to thrive takes time and a lot of care. The team uses man-made underwater structures to give the small fragments a place to develop.
The hope is that their efforts will help improve the health of the reef and support more marine life in the area.
“We micro fragment them onto the reef balls we have out there, and after we micro fragment them, after a while, they’ll continue to grow and fuse together, making one larger coral. And that way it helps to restore corals and also brings life out there to the reefs that they have,” Walters said.
