Message from the Executive Director

We are pleased this month to roll out a new look for our logo. Simpler and bolder (for more impact on signage) with a fresh, modern font, we think it better reflects the BNT of today. We hope you agree!

The holiday season got off to great start with BNT's annual Walkabout in St George's on Friday 6 December! This wonderful event seems to get more popular every year, with thousands streaming to the Old Town to enjoy visiting the historic properties open on the night, the entertainment on the square and the joyous spirit of a community street party.

Thank you to the BNT staff, tenants and volunteers who helped make the evening such a success, to the other organisations that opened their doors, and to the Corporation of St George's and our generous sponsors: Butterfield (gold sponsor), Belco, Goslings, HSBC, Butterfield & Vallis and Department of Culture.

Looking back on 2024, it has been a great year for BNT, packed full of successful events, fascinating Trust Talks, and of course ongoing conservation and care for the open space, historic buildings and collections that we hold in trust. Our education programme reached thousands of young people and we have advocated strongly for our natural and cultural heritage.

Your support, in whatever form, has been essential to this success and is much appreciated.

Thank You and Happy Holidays!

Karen Border

Executive Director

Photos by Meredith Andrews

Natural Heritage Updates

Myles Darrell, Head of Natural Heritage

Never a dull moment in 2024

When faced with people complaining about having too much to do, my good friend always says: "Busy is good; some people aren’t." On that basis, we’ve had an awesome year! While the highlights have been numerous, they are linked by a common thread: our partners, members, and volunteers. Thank you so much for your caring and commitment.

This month, special kudos goes to BUEI for elevating the conversation around climate change and resilience through their November Youth Climate Summit (YCS). The event is a powerful platform for young people to engage, share knowledge, and connect with international experts, local businesses, NGOs, and politicians. I was delighted to participate again and give an update on the work of the Trust, emphasising the importance of monitoring and evaluating conservation efforts, as well as the innovative tools reshaping our approach.

A highlight of the summit for the Trust was the opportunity to lead a hands-on BioBlitz at Spittal Pond. This is “an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all the living species within a designated area”. The result is a snapshot of the biodiversity at a given moment, providing a benchmark for future monitoring. More than 80 young participants explored the reserve, making observations with the iNaturalist app. Adding to bird data provided by Bermuda Audubon Society, we documented more than 150 species in just a few hours. This was a great result which we will build on next year.

Ronald Burchall at the Youth Climate Summit at BUEI

Cultural Heritage Updates

Dr. Charlotte Andrews, Head of Cultural Heritage

World Heritage Mission Report

Minister of Public Works Lt. Col. the Hon. David Burch tabled the report of the Joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Advisory Mission to the Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications 25 - 28 March 2024 in the House of Assembly on 29 November. You can read the report here.

We are absorbing the report and preparing to support the Government in implementing some forty recommendations as and when we can. The Bermuda World Heritage Site is also included in this World Heritage Sites in the UK leaflet.

Cover Story

The December issue of Smithsonian Magazine features the Smith’s Island Archaeological Project (SIAP) on the cover and in a 13-page spread by Andrew Lawler with photographs by Bermudian Nicola Muirhead. The piece shares how “New archaeological finds on the islands have revealed secrets about one of Britain’s first settlements in the Americas—and the surprising ways it changed the New World.”

The Trust—with our Archaeological Research Committee—is proud to be the SIAP project’s most longstanding and leading local partner. We congratulate Dr. Michael Jarvis and all members of his SIAP team over the years on this incredible international exposure!

Trust Treasure

A 1927 painting by Hereward Watlington (Bermudian, 1902-1989) has joined the Trust’s collection. Cluster Cottage, the Grade 1 listed building on St Mary’s Road in Warwick that it depicts, belongs to BNT and is leased as a private residence. The house dates to at least 1727 and features in the Warwick volume of Bermuda’s Architectural Heritage Series.

The painting was given to the Trust by a member of the family of Dr Harry Croyle Curtis and his wife Elizabeth Walker Curtis, and may have been a wedding gift to them from the artist in the late 1920's.

Heritage Education Updates

Anna Stevenson, Heritage Education Manager

Young people shared a wide range of ideas about what is ‘Worth Preserving’ in their entries for the 2024 BNT Sompo Art Competition. With 145 pieces submitted, judging was a challenge!

The top prize in the 9–12 year age group went to Milena Millett, who depicted within a triangle all the things she thinks are worth protecting in Bermuda, including our ocean, our people and culture, our friendliness, our homes, and our flora and fauna.

In the 13–18 year age group, first place went to Dhakiya Burch-Waldron for a stunning, colourful image of a girl holding a turtle, surrounded by corals and reef fish.

Thank you to Sompo International for sponsoring the contest again this year and selecting the final winners, and to the professional artists who did the preliminary judging: Jahbarri Wilson, Jill Amos Raine, Fiona Murdoch and Meredith Andrews.

You can see all the entries here. An exhibition of the winners’ work will be held at Sompo’s headquarters in Waterloo House until 13 December.