April 2022 Edition
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IN THIS ISSUE
The Bermuda Zoological Society is committed to Climate Change
Annual Raffle Draw
Student Feature: Selina Whitter
BZS Lecture Series: Voices of the Humpbacks The Bermuda Whale Song Project
Scholarship deadline is next week!
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THE BERMUDA ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY IS COMMITTED TO CLIMATE CHANGE!
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Earth Day, April 22nd, marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement which began in 1970.
This year’s theme is Invest in Our Planet - because a green future is a prosperous future.
The world is focused on finding and accelerating solutions to combat our greatest threat, climate change, and to activate everyone – governments, businesses and individual citizens – to be part of the solution. Unfortunately, most of us feel powerless when faced with the scale of climate change and environmental degradation. The good news is everyone can play their part in bringing about change through personal choices and actions.
The Bermuda Zoological Society is committed to tackling climate change through its conservation projects and programmes. The aim is to give us all a chance to take positive action, contribute to the global response, and make a difference for our small island home.
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Trunk Island Restoration Programme
It is our responsibility to safeguard Bermuda’s beautiful and diverse habitats so that future generations can explore, touch, smell and experience nature as we can today – Trunk Island offers the Bermuda Zoological Society an opportunity to make that happen.
The goal for Trunk Island is to restore it to its original state and to create a ‘Living Classroom’ by removing invasive flora and planting natives and endemics, such as the Bermuda Cedar, Palmetto and Olivewoods to name a few. To reach this goal our BZS volunteers have been involved in every area of the restoration of Trunk Island; from being part of the management and planning team, to being completely hands-on through reforesting, invasive plant removal, chipping of removed plants, and other conservation-based activities.
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Mangrove Project
The Bermuda Zoological Society are in the process of creating a new Red Mangrove coastal habitat and a brackish pond to support the growth of Black Mangroves on Trunk Island. The habitats will give our education team new opportunities to teach science in exciting ways and will permit substantive and sustained educational experiences for thousands of students as they move through the Bermuda school systems. The walkthrough exhibit will also allow visitors to experience the mangroves in nature, with signage communicating the associated conservation message; thus inspiring an appreciation for the significance of this critically endangered habitat.
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Micro Forest Project
Trees are essential to our world. They absorb harmful carbon from the atmosphere, give us oxygen and are vital ingredients in 25% of all medicines. Humans, animals and the environment depend upon trees, shrubs, and grasses for survival. In Bermuda, trees stabilise the soil and act as a buffer against the growing number of windstorms that the Island is experiencing with climate change.
The BZS Micro Forest project prioritises planting native and endemic plants that promote biodiversity and stewardship of our natural heritage. They are best suited to Bermuda's climate, and they are the least likely to suffer damage during hurricanes. Native plant species naturally occur without human intervention, evolving to the local conditions, climate, and wildlife over many years. It's these qualities that make them the best choice for Island wide planting.
There is still time to solve the climate crisis; time to choose BOTH a prosperous and sustainable future; and time to restore nature and build a healthy planet for our children and their children. That time is now!
Want to learn how you can contribute and get involved? Want to learn more about what you can do about climate change? Contact the Bermuda Zoological Society at info@bzs.bm or call (441) 293-2727.
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STUDENT FEATURE: SELINA WHITTER
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Meet Selina Whitter. She recently completed her time as a junior staff member with the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo. Before her exit, she was working closely with the Zoo staff providing animal enrichment and training to the residents of the various exhibits. But her journey at BAMZ started many years ago.
In 2017, while studying at the Bermuda College to become a Veterinary Technician, Selina was looking to find a part time job within her field. She applied for a position at BAMZ and the BAMZ Animal Care and Quarantine Officer, Roma Hayward, reached out to her and offered her a place within her section.
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Selina worked with Ms. Hayward for the next 4 years and during that time her duties included helping to maintain quarantine procedures with both zoo and marine specimens, daily husbandry of both aquatic and terrestrial species, animal diet preparation, and assisting with the BAMZ wildlife rehabilitation programme. All this entailed having a knowledge of each species, understanding their natural history, being able to safely handle several different species, making keen observations and keeping good records.
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During her fourth year of working with Ms. Hayward, Selina was awarded a Stemple Internship through the Bermuda Zoological Society. The Stemple Internship is for students interested in pursuing careers in the life sciences (biology, zoology, veterinary medicine, wildlife management, etc.). Students are given the opportunity to learn all aspects of the daily care of exotic animals through practical involvement and leave with a better understanding of the important role of aquariums, museums and zoos in promoting conservation and education.
This past year, Selina made a request to transfer to work in the zoo department, as she had a keen interest in training and enrichment. She took initiative to organize the enrichment and focused her time training several animals in the zoo. This included working with our new red ruffed lemurs. In the photos, Selina is using positive reinforcement to train the lemurs to be comfortable with the zoo staff handling them.
Selina was recently accepted into Veterinary Technician programme at Guelph University in Canada. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours!
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SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE IS NEXT WEEK!
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The BZS invites Bermudian university students to compete for an environmental-related scholarship
The BZS Steinhoff scholarship provides educational opportunities for Bermudian students studying environmental sciences at accredited institutions. To be considered, applicants must be in the final two years of a bachelor’s degree or working toward a master’s or doctorate in their chosen field.
The BZS education programmes support the national science curriculum for thousands of Bermuda students, from pre-school to college. BZS conservation initiatives include projects to protect endangered sea turtles, skinks, coral reefs and killifish, while BZS scientists work with colleagues worldwide to share research vital to international conservation programmes. The BZS strives to encourage and support young generations of Bermudians to become stewards of our natural environment.
The deadline for scholarship applications is April 30th!
REGISTER NOW!
To register or to find out further information, please click here.
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Support the Bermuda Zoological Society Education Programmes
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