Mangrove Program New Additions 2016-2017: Living Oceans Foundation

Mangrove Program New Additions

I’m excited to also share that Symone Johnson, a National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Knauss Fellow, is joining us for the first phase of the B.A.M. and J.A.M.I.N. programs. Symone is volunteering with us as part of her professional development training to learn about managing, implementing, and evaluating education programs such as ours. Welcome Symone!

Symone Johnson helping students at Forest Heights to use a GPS device.

When we arrive in Abaco, Bahamas, Abaco Central High School and Forest Heights Academy are just getting in the full swing of a new school year. It’s a good time to implement our programs. Last year, we piloted the B.A.M. program in various grade levels and classes, but we found that the program aligns best with the Biology grade 10 curriculum. This year B.A.M. will begin in the grade 10 Biology classes and I’m excited to meet all of the new students.

Abaco Central High School Biology Class, Grade 10

Forest Heights Academy Biology Class, Grade 10

Additionally, we will pilot a second year program at Forest Heights Academy with students who participated in the last year’s B.A.M. program. We are very excited to be able to continue expanding students’ knowledge of mangroves!

Forest Heights Academy Marine Biology Class

Keep following our blogs for more information about our new second year Mangrove Education and Restoration program.

2025-2026 B.A.M. Student Voices

Throughout the Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B.A.M.) and Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) programs, we evaluate each phase of the mangrove education and restoration process to better understand how students are learning, growing, and connecting with their coastal environments.

Before the programs begin, students share what they already know about mangroves and how they feel about them. As the program progresses, we continue to gather feedback to see how their knowledge evolves from identifying mangrove species and understanding food webs to recognizing the role mangroves play in coastal protection and climate change mitigation.

But the surveys go beyond science content.

We also ask students…

Ten Years of B.A.M.: Rooted in Partnership, Growing in Purpose

Ten years ago, the Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B.A.M.) program began with a simple but meaningful commitment: to connect Bahamian students with the mangrove ecosystems that shape and protect their island home.

Since 2015, B.A.M. has been implemented in partnership with Friends of the Environment, whose dedication to environmental stewardship in Abaco has made this program possible year after year. Together, we have worked alongside Patrick J. Bethel High School and Forest Heights Academy to bring hands-on mangrove science into classrooms and out into the field.

What makes ten years remarkable is not just longevity — it is consistency…