Mangrove Education Takes Root Again: Renewed Programs and New Partnerships

November 19, 2024

Written by Amy Heemsoth

We are thrilled to announce the launch of another exciting year for our Mangrove Education and Restoration Programs! These programs empower students and educators to protect and restore vital mangrove ecosystems, which play a critical role in maintaining coastal protection, biodiversity, and resilience against climate change. We’re excited to dive back into hands-on mangrove conservation with our local and international partners this academic year.

Our Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B.A.M.) program continues to engage students in Abaco, The Bahamas, at Forest Heights Academy and Patrick J. Bethel through our ongoing partnership with Friends of the Environment. This year brings a particularly special connection, as one of our former B.A.M. students has joined Friends of the Environment as their newest Education Officer! Working alongside a past participant who has embraced the mission of mangrove conservation is a testament to the program’s lasting impact and the passion it fosters in students.

Bahamas Awarness of Mangroves (B.A.M.)

In Jamaica, the Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) program proudly celebrates its 10th anniversary! For the past decade, we’ve collaborated with the University of the West Indies Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory, implementing this program at William Knibb Memorial High School—the longest participating school in J.A.M.I.N. This milestone is a tribute to the dedication of our students, teachers, and partners who continue to protect and restore Jamaica’s mangrove habitats.

Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.)

This year, we’re thrilled to expand our efforts through two new J.A.M.I.N. partnerships. The first is with Sea The Change Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming Jobson Bay Eco-Beach Park into a center for education, recreation, and sustainable development. With its 385 acres of pristine beachfront and beautiful mangrove forests, Jobson Bay will provide an incredible outdoor classroom for our students.

Our second new partnership is with Playa Hotels & Resorts, which is generously helping to sponsor the J.A.M.I.N. program. Their support will ensure that secondary students in Jamaica can experience environmental education and learn the importance of mangrove ecosystems firsthand. Playa Hotels and Resorts’ commitment to community engagement and environmental responsibility makes them a valuable ally in our mission to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

Partners from Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory, Sea the Change, and Playa Hotels and Resorts, along with guests from the Jamaican Forestry Department, gather to welcome William Knibb Memorial High School students as they celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the J.A.M.I.N. program.

As we continue this journey alongside both new and longstanding partners, we are excited about the potential of our Mangrove Education and Restoration Programs to create a lasting impact. We proudly celebrate a decade of success with the J.A.M.I.N. program, which has empowered countless students and cultivated a profound commitment to mangrove conservation.

Stay tuned for more updates as we share stories of our Mangrove Education and Restoration Programs in the Caribbean.

From Dialogue to Action: Ocean Foundations Gather in Stockholm

What can philanthropy accomplish when foundations working across ocean science, conservation, and sustainable development come together around a shared purpose?

That question was at the heart of the 6th UN Ocean Decade Foundations Dialogue, held September 7–9 in Stockholm, Sweden. The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation joined philanthropic organizations from around the world for three days of discussion, collaboration, and planning focused on accelerating progress during the second half of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

Facilitated by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the UN Ocean Decade Foundations Dialogue is a growing network of more than 30 philanthropic organizations committed to advancing ocean science, collaboration, and action. Since its creation within the framework of the Ocean Decade, the Dialogue has provided foundations with a space to exchange ideas, develop partnerships, and explore how philanthropy can help advance a healthy and resilient ocean.

Hosted by the Voice of the Ocean Foundation (VOTO), this year’s gathering began with From Depth to Action, an Opening Forum that brought nearly 100 leaders from the Swedish and international ocean community together at…

Meet IFAN: Helping Bring Navigate with Care to the Next Generation

If you’ve ever seen a lighthouse flashing from the shore or a brightly colored buoy bobbing in the water, you’ve seen Aids to Navigation at work.

Aids to Navigation, often called AtoNs, help mariners navigate safely. They can mark channels, warn of hazards, help vessels determine their position, and provide other information people need to make safe decisions on the water. Around the world, these systems help guide everything from small recreational boats to large commercial or container ships.

But safe navigation isn’t only about protecting vessels and the people aboard them. The choices mariners make can also affect the animals and ecosystems beneath and around them.

That connection between maritime safety and ocean conservation is at the heart of this year’s Science Without Borders® Challenge—and of our partnership with this year’s theme sponsor, the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN).