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Friends of the Environment E-Newsletter
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| Established in 1988 |
June 2015 |
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Save the Date
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July 1-31:
Summer Camps and Field Courses
Aug. 4-7:
Grand Cay Summer Camp
Aug. 12:
Green Turtle Cay Summer Camp
Jan. 6-9, 2015:
Abaco Science Alliance Conference
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Summer is a crazy time in Abaco! The hotels are full, the Sea of Abaco is bustling with boats and FRIENDS is full with summer campers!
We are holding 10 camps in 5 different communities all the way from Sandy Point up to Grand Cay. Every year the staff at FRIENDS is reminded of how important our work is. These summer campers are eager to learn and are excited everyday about field trips to the blue holes, the mangroves, snorkeling at Mermaid Reef, exploring Abaco's dry caves and more. We live in a beautiful place and it brings us so much joy to provide opportunities for local students to experience these places they would not know about otherwise. Camp also reminds us each year to never take these places for granted. Our environment is unique and it is fragile and our summer campers are walking away as ambassadors for Abaco and everything that makes it so special.
Thank you for your support to make it all happen! We could not do it without you!
Kristin Williams
Executive Director
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The Frank Kenyon Centre: Research Spotlight
Stephanie Buhler, a PhD student at North Carolina State University (NCSU) is bringing new and exciting technology to Abaco! Thanks to a grant from the
Save Our Seas Foundation, Stephanie will be investigating the use of a drone as a non-invasive method for studying coastal megafauna (e.g. sharks). This project will help improve methods using drones for aerial surveys, and help us gain a better understanding of the shark populations in and near some of Abaco's proposed national parks. Stephanie will be partnering with FRIENDS in community outreach and will be hosting a summer field course for students aged 15+ on July 27th and 28th (
download a registration form here).
Learn more on The Abaco Scientist.
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Lionfish Derby Results!
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One of the most interesting observations in Marsh Harbour was that several of the lionfish had lionfish in their stomachs!!
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Central Abaco Lionfish Derby
FRIENDS held the annual Central Abaco Lionfish Derby on May 30th in partnership with Marsh Harbour Exporters and Importers, Tropic Seafood, and The Jib Room. Participants noted that there has been a decrease in the numbers of lionfish over the years, it is working!
Central Abaco Results:
1st: Grouper Lips, 387
2nd: Kiki, 309
3rd: Land Crab III, 273
Smallest: 3.4 cm (The Tin Can)
Largest: 35.9 cm (Vincent)
# of Boats: 7
TOTAL LIONFISH: 1,062
GreenTurtle Cay Derby
New this year, FRIENDS became an organizer for the Green Turtle Cay Lionfish Derby, which is always a popular event. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes are presented for four categories: most lion fish overall, most lion fish in a foreign boat, smallest and largest fish. A prize is also given to the top female angler. Below are the winning teams for each category:
Green Turtle Cay Results:
Overall 1st: White Roach, 220
Foreign Boat 1st: Infinity, 97
Smallest: 5.3 cm (AD/HD)
Largest: 32.3 cm (White Roach)
# of Boats: 19
Top Female Angler: Peggy Rafferty, over 90 fish
TOTAL LIONFISH: 763
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The Abaco Mangrove Survey is still going on!
You still have an opportunity to participate. Survey packets are available at FRIENDS. Anyone who participates before August 1st is eligible for the prize of a $100 gift certificate for native plants!
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| On the left, characteristic Red Mangroves. Note the extending prop roots, these are key in distinguishing Red Mangroves from Black Mangroves. The right photograph shows the characteristic lesions of the disease we are looking to document on a Red Mangrove leaf. These lesions are typically paper thin to the touch. Photo credit: Stephanie K. Archer, Ally Karaczynski |
Mangrove forests and creeks are important ecological habitats. They act as buffers for inland areas from storms while also providing habitat for valuable species that we rely on for food and fun (e.g., Nassau Grouper, Spiny Lobster, Bonefish). These services, and many others that mangroves provide, are at risk as mangrove habitats disappear. Salinity, changes in water flow, and disease are just a few factors that may cause mangrove die-off. We, scientists from North Carolina State University, suspect that a plant disease is playing a role in the mangrove die-off in The Marls. As a result, we are looking to document the presence of this disease across Abaco to help us determine how important it is in mangrove death and we can use your help.
What does the survey entail?
- Visit the Abaco Scientist blog (http://appliedecology.cals.ncsu.edu/absci/mangrove-survey/) and the Abaco Mangrove Survey Facebook page for more information.
- Retrieve a survey packet at FRIENDS starting June 1 (optional)
- Visit an area with Red Mangroves
- Record the GPS point of the area
- Look for diseased leaves in a few patches of Red Mangroves
- Take photographs of the area and leaves
- Collect one diseased leaf and one healthy leaf
- Return data to FRIENDS or submit online
For more information contact [email protected] or FRIENDS (p: 242-367-2721, email: [email protected])
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Rockin' with FRIENDS!
Thank you to our musicians: Shane Cash, Nicole Berg, Justin and Journey Higgs, Meredith Knowles, The Aberle Family, Rhiannon Thomas, Andrea Gottlieb, Elizabeth Covington, Donnella Rolle, Aly Boyce,
Chris & Jessica Farren, and Rick Hearn
A big thank you to Christopher Lightbourn, and Tom Hazel and everyone at The Abaco Inn!!
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Summer Camps
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| One of the researchers showing the campers how they carefully sample the Bahama Swallow before releasing them back into the wild. |
FRIENDS' summer camp season began in Sandy Point where campers learned about valuable habitats in their community and were able to learn about some of the research happening on Abaco. Two researchers studying the Bahama Swallow volunteered their time to teach the campers about how they catch the birds using mist nets. The research group from Virginia Tech are trying to gain a better understanding of the distribution and population health of Bahama Swallows, one of The Bahamas' few endemic birds. Once the swallows are captured they are quickly measured, a small blood sample is taken, and then they are safely released.
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Summer Campers exploring the cave at Little Harbour. While there, they learned about bats, fossils, stalactites, and stalagmites.
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This year FRIENDS introduced a new junior camp for ages 6-9 because there was such a large demand for this age group in previous years. This camp focuses on Abaco's ecosystems but offers new activities and topics for students who have already attended FRIENDS camps in the past.
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FRIENDS Program Coordinator is On the Move!
Gerace 1st Joint Natural History and Geology Conference
Left: Nancy Albury (National Museum of The Bahamas, Abaco Office),
Right: Olivia Patterson Maura.
Photo courtesy of Nancy Albury |
FRIENDS Program Coordinator Olivia Patterson Maura recently attended the first joint Natural History and Geology Conference at the Gerace Research Centre in San Salvador. The conference was a great opportunity to learn more about the intricacies of the Bahamian environment. While there, Olivia was able to network with visiting researchers, visit some of the newly approved national parks, and learn more about the operations of the Gerace Research Centre to help inform management of the Kenyon Centre.
Planning for Bahamas Coral Resiliency
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| Photo courtesy of the Bahamas National Trust |
FRIENDS was invited to participate in a collaborative workshop to help formulate a 10 year plan for adaptive management of Bahamian coral reef conservation and restoration. The project, aimed to address the threats to coral reefs throughout The Bahamas, is being coordinated by The Bahamas National Trust with support from the Disney Conservation Fund. The four day workshop utilized the combined expertise of a group of researchers and conservation professionals working throughout the country. Coral reefs and their inhabitants are important parts of the Bahamian environment, culture, and economy, all of which were considered in the 10 year plan. The plan will be reviewed and adapted regularly to ensure project success.
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Plastic Youth Summit in Eleuthera
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Ra'von Rolle and Bronson Russell from Forest Heights Academy stand in front of an art piece made of recycled materials.
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Over Labor Day weekend, The Island School in Eleuthera, Bahamas, held its first-ever Youth Action Island Summit and welcomed students ages 12 to 18 from The Bahamas and Jamaica. This summit was an effort to bring together activists, artists, scientists, educators and island youth in the hope of spreading awareness about the problems of plastic pollution in our oceans. The Island School hosted the event along with 5 Gyres, Cape Eleuthera Institute, and musician Jack Johnson, creator of All At Once, a social action network.
Representatives from Friends of the Environment (FRIENDS), accompanied by Forest Heights Academy Eco Club members, traveled to The Island School for the summit. In Abaco, FRIENDS will be working through education programs to bring awareness of plastic pollution problems to our own island and introduce ways that we can reduce the use of single-use plastics in our communities. FRIENDS also partners on two major cleanup programs each year: National Coastal Awareness Month in April and International Coastal Cleanup in September, in addition to holding smaller cleanups throughout the year.
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Abaco's Environment in Video
Explore Cross Harbour, one of Abaco's most beautiful places, and a proposed marine protected area.
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| Beautiful Places Park One: Cross Harbour |
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