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Friends of the Environment E-Newsletter
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| Established in 1988 |
May 2016 |
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Save the Date
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June 17, 2016
June 24-25, 2016
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This will be the second summer at the Kenyon Centre and the month of May catapulted us into what will be a very busy summer season with eight different organizations utilizing the centre
. Our new solar panels are up and running and a new toad
species was identified on Abaco (read more below). We can't wait to see what June, July and August will bring!
Please stop by anytime to learn more about what's happening and how you can get involved.
Thank you! Together we are making a difference for Abaco's future!
Kristin Williams
Executive Director
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The Kenyon Centre
Abigail and Ryann in the field.
Returning PhD candidate, Ryann Rossi, partnered with College of the Bahamas to host a Bahamian student as her field assistant while studying the die off of Red Mangroves in Abaco. We are so pleased The Kenyon Centre is able to provide affordable housing that will help facilitate more opportunities like this one!
"This experience has propelled me into the detailed discipline of data collection and experimental design, which will definitely benefit me this fall when I conduct my own experiment (for an independent study course). I am very grateful and hope other students will get the opportunity to have an amazing hands-on experience with meaningful field work like I have." -Abigail Wallace
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Green Turtle Cay Lionfish Derby!! 
Friday, June 24: 5-7 PM Captain's Meeting and Late Registration
Saturday, June 25: Sunrise-4PM Derby
6:30pm - Awards, buffet dinner and party with live music
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Register online, at the FRIENDS office, at the Green Turtle Club or Brendal's Dive Center,
or at the captain's meeting.
Registration is $125/boat (up to 4 people) and includes:
2 dinner tickets for buffet dinner at the Green Turtle Club on June 25th.
4 drink tickets at Tipsy Turtle.
Lionfish tasting at awards ceremony.
Dockside rum punch at weigh-in donated by Brendal's Dive Center and Water Sports.
Contact the Green Turtle Club for room rates!
(242-365-4271 or 1-800-370-4468)
Contact
Brendal's Dive Shop
for all your diving needs. They are offering discounts for dive equipment rentals and tours to all derby participants! (
Email
)
****
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Rockin' with FRIENDS
FRIENDS board member Justin Higgs and his daughter Journey performing at last year's event.
Join us for one of summer's most fun events!
Enjoy an amazing sunset view while rocking out to a lineup of local musicians!
Have fun while supporting FRIENDS summer programs!
Friday June 17th at 6pm
Firefly Resort, Elbow Cay
$10 entry donation
Raffle tickets will be available!
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May Motivation: Education Update
88 Students from Central Abaco Primary participated in a coastal restoration near Camp Abaco. The restoration was sponsored by the Global Environment Fund Small Grants Program (UNDP GEF SGP).
We have had a great term! We started a new after school program for ages 3-5 called Sea Beans; Discovery Club members earned badges in Weather and Astronomy; Island Investigators club members learned about coastal environment health assessments; our first Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves project was completed; and we reached
1,458 students through field trips, school visits, and after school clubs!
Now that schools are switching gears to revision and end of year exams, we are also switching gears to prepare for summer camps! If you'd like to learn more about our school education programs, please visit the "Current Projects" tab on our
website. And don't forget to read on to find out the theme for the Abaco Science Fair!
Abaco Science Fair
Thursday November 17, 2016
Theme: "Challenges and Solutions for Waste Management in The Bahamas"
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New Coral Reef Ecology Curriculum
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Summer Camp for Adults
We are bringing back the Sea Turtle Field Course for ages 18+! It is so popular that we only have two spaces left! The course will be offered on July 6th & 7th in partnership with Elizabeth Whitman from Florida International University and will educate participants on sea turtle biology, behavior, and habitats. In the afternoon, participants will enjoy a trip to Snake Cay Creek to help survey for and tag turtles!
Contact us for more info!
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Summer Camp Dates are Out!
...please note the updated schedule!
June 27 - July 1: Junior Camp (ages 6-9, returning campers only, *FULL)
July 5-6: IGFA Sustainable Fishing Camp, Murphy Town (ages 10-12)
July 7-8: IGFA Sustainable Fishing Camp, Green Turtle Cay (ages 10-12)
July 12-15: Junior Camp (ages 6-9, for first time campers only)
July 13-14: Plastic Awareness Camp with Bahamas Plastic Movement, ages 12-15)
July 18-22: Sea Beans Camp (ages 3-5, half day only, *FULL)
July 25-29: Nature Detectives (ages 12-15)
August 2-5: Grand Cay Camp
Camps are held at the FRIENDS Education Centre in Marsh Harbour unless stated otherwise. Camp positions are first-come, first-served. Application forms are available at the FRIENDS office or on our website. Campers must pre-register to secure a spot.
Click here to learn more and download registration forms.
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Abaco's Environment in Photos :
New toad species confirmed on Abaco
Last year, North Carolina State University researcher Sean Giery heard calls from what he suspected to be a narrow-mouthed toad. Fast forward to this month, Forest Heights Academy student Donte Richard heard the same call and was able to track down
the individual who made it. Eastern narrow-mouthed toads are not native to The Bahamas and have been introduced to several other Bahamian islands, however we do not know much about their future impact (if any) to our environment.
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