Time has gone really fast and we are already wrapping up the first installation of the Caribbean mangrove education and restoration programs in The Bahamas and Jamaica. We couldn’t have managed these efforts without the help of our partners from University of the West Indies Discovery Bay Marine Lab in Jamaica and the Friends of the Environment in The Bahamas. They are truly a pleasure to work with.

Over the course of two weeks, we were able to implement the project in four secondary schools, reaching over 100 students. We were also able to begin the project in a new country, The Bahamas. In the future, we hope to be able to grow the project to include more schools within each country and possibly expand the project to other countries.

We will be back in The Bahamas and Jamaica in February and March to continue our work with the students and teachers participating in our mangrove education and restoration programs. By the time we return, we will be able to give you an update as to how the mangrove seedlings are growing in the students’ classrooms.

Expanding our mangrove education program has been a real pleasure. The best part is, each school has smiling students that want to learn about mangroves, whether they know some or none of the information. They have inquisitive minds and they absorb what they can. Realistically, I know that not every student is going to grasp all of the information; however, they are present, alert, and willing to learn. As an educator, this is what makes my day.

Photos by Amy Heemsoth