My Year Participating in the B.A.M. Mangrove Project (KSLOF)

My Year Participating in the B.A.M. Mangrove Project

May 24, 2016

Written by Guest Author

, Keonte Nightingale

Mangrove Education and Restoration Program Blog

A guest blog by Keonte Nightingale, Grade 11, Forest Heights Academy and participant in the Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B.A.M.) program.

Ever since the B.A.M. mangrove project, I have become much more aware when it comes to the environment and mangroves. I observed a young mangrove grow from a propagule to a tree that can live on its own. I have acquired lots of new skills too.

The first day we experienced BAM it was great. We took notes about the mangroves and we went into the field. I was the first and only person to fall in the mud. We collected baby mangroves (propagules) and planted them. After Ms. Amy left we continued to monitor our mangroves by observing and tending to them weekly. We watched them grow slowly but surely.

Planting our mangrove propagules.

When Ms. Amy came back a few months later we took more notes, this time it was centered around food webs. We went outside and made a real food web using yarn and throwing it around. It was way more enjoyable than you would think. We also observed organisms earlier that day and identified them. After she left we kept caring for our baby mangroves.

Our class building a mangrove food web.

When Ms. Amy came back for the last time we did the routine again. This time we were going to replant our mangroves in the wild. We took them out, we got our B.A.M. shirts and we received the safety talk about how to behave while planting the mangroves. The mud we walked in was very hard to move in but I eventually got adjusted and in no time I was running around. Donte and I decided to race through the mud, but that didn’t go so well.

Walking through the mangrove mud was difficult, but eventually I found a good spot to plant my mangroves.

All and all, it was an experience I would definitely participate in again. My favorite animal I saw was a little crab that Ra’Von caught. My favorite moment was watching him catch that crab. I definitely recommend that anyone who has the opportunity to participate in this project, to do it.

From Mangrove Mud to Meaningful Work: Desta’s J.A.M.I.N. Journey

Some students I remember for their grades, their quick answers, or a moment that made the whole class laugh. Others I remember for the way they stepped into the mangroves.

Desta was the kind of student who thrived outdoors. While some students hesitated at the edge of the mud, he walked right in. And when he inevitably got stuck — because everyone does — he didn’t get frustrated. He laughed. Covered in mud, holding mangrove propagules in his hands, he embraced the experience fully.

Even then, it was clear that he was connecting with the environment in a way that went beyond the lesson plan…

From Students to Stewards: A Full-Circle Moment for J.A.M.I.N.

There are certain faces you never forget.

Over the years, hundreds of students have stepped into mangrove forests with us through the Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) program. I may not always remember every name, but I remember the expressions — the hesitation before stepping into thick mud, the laughter when someone loses a shoe, the look of surprise when they catch that unmistakable sulfur smell rising from the mangrove soil…

Related Posts

From Mangrove Mud to Meaningful Work: Desta’s J.A.M.I.N. Journey

From Students to Stewards: A Full-Circle Moment for J.A.M.I.N.