Claudette Rolle can't wait to up-cycle her large plastic bottles and turn them into bird feeders, after her participation in a one-day environmental education workshop at the Bahamas National Trust (BNT).
Rolle, the director of Catholic Education was among 240 Catholic School Board educators and staff who participated in the one-day workshops that took place on three islands -- New Providence, at the Retreat Garden, Grand Bahama at the Rand Nature Centre and on Abaco at St. Frances de Sales School.
Presentations included 10 ways that individuals could help the environment, which included hands on activities such as tree planting, turning trash into useful treasures and special activities on water conservation that have been developed as part of the Blue Water Project with the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).
Teachers were also introduced to native plant identification as well as field trip opportunities that are available for their students at the national parks on New Providence, Abaco and Grand Bahama.
"The workshop coordinated by The BNT was undoubtedly a most profound way of making our employees aware that the expectation we have of students for sustaining and protecting the environment cannot be achieved unless we make a personal pledge to do likewise," said Rolle. "The experience for educators from all disciplines was awe-inspiring!"
The workshop came to be after Alexandria Bowe, curriculum officer for the Catholic School Board approached the BNT to partner with them in designing the workshop for the teachers that would emphasize environmental stewardship and provide the educators with hands-on activities that they could transfer to their classrooms, according to Portia Sweeting, director of Education at the Bahamas National Trust.
RBC donated tee-shirts, water bottles and other paraphernalia about their water conservation program for the educators.
The workshop was sponsored by the Sandals Foundation, an organization that supports educational and sustainable environmental projects as part of their commitment to the Caribbean community.
Chester Robards, the public relations manager at Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa & Resort, encouraged the educators to take the subject of the environment seriously and to transfer that to the students they impact.
"The environment is something that needs to be taken seriously and that we need you to take seriously, so that those lives you will continue to touch takes the sanctity of this ... the only sanctuary we know and call home seriously. Like Captain Planet once said: 'The power is yours'. And we need you to empower our youth," said Robards.
Educators and staff from Aquinas College, Every Child Counts, Grand Bahama Catholic High, Mary Star of the Sea School, St. Cecilia's, St. Francis De Sales School, St. Francis Joseph, St. Thomas More, and Xavier's Lower School participated in the workshop.

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