Message from the Executive Director

A Royal Visit to BNT’s Eco Club

On Friday 1 May, BNT was honoured to have His Majesty King Charles III meet with members of our Eco Club and plant a ceremonial Palmetto in the grounds of Government House, where the club has use of the slat house for its weekly sessions.

Thirteen students, aged 13 to 17, greeted His Majesty alongside Head of Natural Heritage Myles Darrell and Conservation Officer Ronald Burchall, sharing what they do and why it matters. He then took time to speak with each student, showing genuine interest and encouragement.

It was a proud and inspiring moment, with the young people confidently expressing what Eco Club means to them.

Karen Border

Executive Director

Natural Heritage Updates

Myles Darrell, Head of Natural Heritage

Listening to the Island Beneath Our Feet

BNT is pleased to support an exciting scientific project currently underway across the island: the installation of a small network of seismometers designed to study Bermuda’s tiny, non-hazardous earthquakes. One of these stations has been placed on BNT land, helping researchers better understand what lies beneath our island.

The stations are compact, solar-powered units that will operate unobtrusively for about two years, forming an array to pinpoint the locations of small earthquakes deep beneath the island.

This research builds on earlier work by geophysicists William D. Frazer and Jeffrey Park, who identified an unusually buoyant mass of rock beneath Bermuda that may explain why the island sits where it does in the middle of the Atlantic. The new seismic network will deepen our understanding of these unique geological foundations.

Projects like this highlight how important Bermuda’s open spaces are, not only for conservation and public enjoyment, but also for scientific discovery. BNT’s protected natural areas offer the undisturbed settings that sensitive instruments require. It is quite remarkable to think that quiet corners of BNT land are helping scientists listen to the subtle movements of the Earth beneath our feet.

The Scourge of Dog-waste Bags

Walk through any BNT nature reserve and you will likely see several plastic dog-poo bags left alongside trails or hanging from branches. Though the intention is good, their use in natural spaces is misguided, especially when they are simply abandoned there. This is littering.

Many of these bags are labelled “biodegradable,” which sounds reassuring but is actually misleading. Most require industrial composting conditions to break down properly. Those conditions do not exist in our reserves. Left in the environment, these bags can persist for years and may break into microplastics that contaminate soil and water.

The impact is not only environmental. The bags spoil the experience for others and diminish the natural beauty of the spaces we are all trying to enjoy and protect.

Using a dog-poo bag is a responsible choice in the built environment – pavements, streets, carparks and manicured lawns. When in nature, the “stick and flick” approach is better. Simply find a stick or small twig and use it to flick the waste off the path into the bushes. You can kick dirt or drop leaves over any residue. Nature will do the rest and break the waste down within days.

If you still prefer to use a bag, please take it away with you to dispose of properly. There is no responsible alternative. BNT does not have the resources to collect these bags or manage dog-poo bins on all our properties. Thanks for your cooperation and spread the word!

Cultural Heritage Updates

Dr Charlotte Andrews, Head of Cultural Heritage

Visit from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

BNT was pleased to welcome Dr Catherine Paterson, Regional Manager (Canada and Americas) for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, during her recent visit to Bermuda.

BNT works in collaboration with the CWGC to help care for and manage Commonwealth war graves across the island. Dr Paterson’s visit—the first to Bermuda by a CWGC representative in several years—provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen this long-standing relationship in person, building on regular communication and ongoing shared work.

During her visit, Dr Paterson met with me to review the CWGC–BNT partnership, and together we visited sites under BNT’s care across the island, in churchyards and other military and civilian cemeteries.

These visits supported our joint ongoing assessment and long-term planning for the care of this important collection. Our discussions also explored opportunities to deepen interpretation—linking memorials to the individual stories of those commemorated and connecting with family and institutional collections to ensure their service and sacrifice continue to be recognised with dignity.

Collections Fit for a King

Following the restoration of Government House, BNT was pleased to once again loan a selection of items from our collections for display in the historic interiors.

The timing was significant, as the objects were returned in advance of the recent visit of King Charles III, with silver and porcelain pieces displayed on and near the Dining Room table at Government House.

BNT extends sincere thanks to conservator Jenny Gosling, member of the Museums & Collections Committee, who carried out painstaking conservation work to ensure the pieces were presented to the highest standard.

Heritage Education Updates

Anna Stevenson, Heritage Education Manager

The annual Children's Nature Walk went ahead during the spring break in April, despite the worst weather we have ever had for the event! Over 125 children came out in raincoats and boots to learn about the incredible flora, fauna and geology of Spittal Pond. Our young learners were treated to presentations by some of the island's leading experts - they explored pond habitats, endemic and native species, listened to the story of Jeffrey's Cave and Portuguese Rock, spotted birds and whales, and learned about the impact of farming to the site. We are incredibly grateful to our sponsor, Arch Re, to our station leaders and to all our volunteers without whom this event could not run.

Heritage education is already gearing up for the summer holidays. This year we are running four brand new camps:

Trash to Treasure, which sees children transforming and upcycling useful objects
Fabulous Forts, where campers are spending the week exploring Bermuda’s remarkable fortifications and learning about technological and engineering changes brought about by warfare.
Nature Detectives has us all out in the wilds learning about the island’s remarkable flora and fauna and doing some real-world research.
Hunt for the Lost Treasure, which weaves the true story of early Bermuda history with a mythical treasure. Children will decode cyphers, solve riddles and use critical thinking and team-building skills to uncover the location of the hidden treasure.

On top of this we have our ever-popular photography camps, time-travelling camp and our archaeology camp. We are already over half sold out, so please secure your spot to avoid disappointment!

Don’t forget to check out our Spring Family Heritage Activity suggestions on our website.