Students Tackle World Water Crisis

June 25, 2019

Written by Amy Heemsoth

Students participating in year-two of our Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B.A.M.) and Jamaican Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) programs have been monitoring mangroves throughout the academic year. Recently, they returned to their monitoring sites to collect additional data for the final time. The overall objective is for the students to use the data that they collected to determine what is happening in the mangroves. A more specific objective is to have the students look at water quality. They may ask questions such as: Are the mangroves experiencing different salinities during various seasons? Does this cause any change(s) in the mangroves? Why does one quadrat have more dissolved oxygen in it then another quadrat? How does this affect marine life in the mangroves?

B.A.M. students participating in the EarthEcho Water Challenge

Water quality monitoring is extremely important in keeping mangroves healthy. That is why we teamed up with EarthEcho International to have students in our B.A.M. and J.A.M.I.N. programs participate in the EarthEcho Water Challenge. The water quality data (such as salinity, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen content) that they collect, will be shared with other students from around the world.

Mangroves can play a key role in stabilizing coastlines, helping prevent erosion and sediments from entering waterways. They can also absorb excess nutrients and pollutants that could otherwise negatively impact the marine environment. Collecting and sharing water quality data during these restoration efforts is critical to establishing a better understanding of the baseline water quality in these regions, and the potential impacts of changes in water conditions on the mangroves. By documenting changes in water quality, students gain a better understanding of the impact of their restoration work.

Through their participation in the EarthEcho Water Challenge, we hope that our students’ data will not only be used to protect water resources in the Bahamas and Jamaica, but also contribute to global efforts such as these.

J.A.M.I.N. students participating in the EarthEcho Water Challenge

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…

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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.