Waterkeepers Bahamas and Save the Bays Sponsor First-Ever Camp Eco-Explorer in Grand Bahama: Waterkeepers Bahamas Executive Director Rashema Ingraham (l) and Save the Bays Chairman Joseph Darville (center) spent seven days introducing nine Grand Bahama teens and pre-teens to mangroves, stingrays and farm animals as part of Camp Eco-Explorer. In addition to participating in outdoor activities, the teens were taught the importance of environmental conservation and protection, and how it all begins with leadership and good character development.

Camp Eco-Explorer Teaches Youngsters Importance of Ecological Conservation

Tell people you’ve just spent seven days swimming with stingrays, gliding through mangroves in a kayak, horseback riding and swimming in the open water with dolphins and they might assume you’re describing an expensive eco holiday or a much-dreamed about summer vacation. They may even ask where they can sign up for one themselves.

But, for nine lucky Grand Bahama teens, experiencing some of the most unforgettable activities The Bahamas has to offer was all part of Camp Eco-Explorer, a seven-day camp sponsored by Waterkeepers Bahamas and Save the Bays.

“It was such a blessing to convene with young minds and introduce them to Mother Nature in her most natural, unspoiled form,” said Save the Bays Chairman Joseph Darville. “To see their faces light up at the sight of a stingray and the peace that washed over their faces as we kayaked through mangroves….it was truly miraculous.”

As members of Waterkeeper Alliance, a leading international NGO that coordinates more than 290 member licensed organisations who act as watchdogs for the world’s waterways, Save the Bays and Waterkeepers Bahamas work tirelessly to make sure the citizens of the Bahamas are educated and informed about decisions, policies and practices that have an impact—positively or negatively—on the country’s fragile ecosystem. One of its main initiatives is protection of mangroves which act as incubators for marine life and a barrier from ocean surges and flooding during storms.

“For a few of the campers, this was their first time in a kayak and also the first time they had been up close and in mangroves,” said Waterkeepers Bahamas Executive Director Rashema Ingraham. “This camp has given them an experience to use as a point of reference when it comes making big decisions about their environment going forward.”

“I found it really impressive how beautiful the mangroves are,” said 15-year-old Viore Bosfield. “They are really amazing. They live in a such a tough area and they adapt perfectly.”

In addition to acting as buffers when severe weather strikes, mangroves provide filtration adding to the reasons Bahamian waters are crystal clear. Unfortunately, they are also one of the first plants cleared to make way for developments because they often stand between the open water and land. Removal of mangroves and wetlands makes hurricanes that much more devastating.

“So many people my age don’t care about the environment,” said 14-year-old camper Tyler Adderley. “They grow up thinking they should sell off our beautiful lands and beaches to others when they don’t realize it’s unique and should be kept as ours.”

These are exactly the kind of ecological realities Darville and Ingraham spent the week conveying to their young stewards with the hope that when it comes their turn to make decisions about the ecological future of their country, they’ll make informed choices.

“A big part of changing the mindset of Bahamians so they become involved in protecting and preserving the environment is to inspire Millennials,” Ingraham said. “Everyone can relate to a calming, life-changing experience when they talk about the water. These campers are the faces of our future Waterkeepers. They now have the confidence and the spark to be stronger agents of change.”

Waterkeepers Bahamas works to promote the availability of clean water on all three of the waterbodies for which it is licensed -- Bimini, Grand Bahama and Clifton-Western Bays in New Providence –with the goal of ensuring they are swimmable and fishable for future generations of Bahamians. The organisation is a proud member of Waterkeeper Alliance, the world’s fastest growing environmental movement that has united more than 290 Waterkeeper members and affiliates around the world, all working together to focus citizen action on issues that affect waterways from pollution to climate change. If you are aware of pollution, unregulated development or other illegal activities taking place in the area please contact Rashema Ingraham via phone 242-602-7531 or email waterkeepers.bahamas@gmail.com.

Teens and pre-teens who attended Camp Eco-Explorer in Grand Bahama last week had the chance to swim with free and untrained dolphins while snorkeling, including a tour through a beautiful coral garden and above many small ocean blue holes. The seven-day camp, which also included a day spent swimming with stingrays and a visit to a farm, was sponsored by Waterkeepers Bahamas and Save the Bays.

Swimming with Stingrays: Save the Bays Chairman Joseph Darville (second from right sitting on boat) spent seven days guiding teens and pre-teens on an eco-tour around Grand Bahama as part of Camp Eco-Explorer, including a field trip to swim with the stingrays. The weeklong camp exposed campers to the natural environment of The Bahamas while educating them on environmental and conservation issues.

Teens and pre-teens who attended Camp Eco-Explorer in Grand Bahama, hosted by Waterkeepers Bahamas and Save the Bays, spent a day kayaking through mangroves while learning about the crucial role the plants play in protecting our shores from flooding and storm surges and preventing beach erosion.

Teens and pre-teens who attended Camp Eco-Explorer in Grand Bahama, hosted by Waterkeepers Bahamas and Save the Bays, spent seven days exploring the fragile ecosystem of The Bahamas through field trips like swimming with dolphins and stingrays, snorkeling through coral reef gardens and kayaking through mangroves. In addition to getting up-close-and-personal with nature, campers spent the week learning about environmental issues that will impact their future and ways they can get involved in conservation efforts.

Waterkeepers Bahamas Executive Director Rashema Ingraham (above) led nine campers on a two-mile snorkeling excursion through coral reef gardens and above ocean blue holes recently as part of Camp Eco-Explorer, a seven-day camp sponsored by Waterkeepers Bahamas and Save the Bays. In addition to swimming, snorkeling and kayaking, campers learned about the fragile ecosystem of The Bahamas and ways they can contribute to its preservation and conservation.

By Alex Dorsett

Diane Phillips & Associates