National Trust

endangered species / ecosystems of The Bahamas / national parks

Bahamas National Trust

Origin

This organization came into being due to an effort to save the West Indian Flamingo and to create the world’s first land and sea park. In 1959 an Act of Parliament established the Bahamas National Trust. It brought together the private sector, scientific interests and government agencies all dedicated to the conservation of the natural and historical resources of the Bahamas for the enjoyment of its people. The Bahamas National Trust is a statutory, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization devoted to the conservation and management of the country’s natural and historic resources. It is governed by a 21 member council, of which nine are elected annually from among the general membership and 12 are appointed by Bahamian and international organizations designated by the Bahamas National Trust Act, 1959.

Structure

The designated Bahamian organizations are the office of the Governor-General; and the Ministries of Agriculture & Fisheries; Education & Youth and Sports; Health & Environment; and Tourism.

The designated international organizations are:

Ų The American Museum of Natural History;
Ų The National Audubon Society;
Ų The Wildlife Conservation Society;
Ų The University of Miami’s Rosentiel School of Marine Science;
Ų The Smithsonian Institution;
Ų The United States National Park Service.

The council elects a president and a deputy president and appoints an executive committee to act on its behalf between annual meetings. The executive committee appoints standing committees as required.

The Trust employs a professional executive director at its New Providence headquarters plus full-time educational officers, park wardens, and administrative and technical staff. It is also supported by a host of volunteers who man numerous standing committees.

Membership has grown from less than 100 in 1962 to more than three thousand currently. Operations are financed through proceeds from the Heritage Fund Endowment (50%), memberships (19%), donations (14%), sales & fees (9%), and a small government grant (8%).

The Trust invites all who are concerned about our future to join and contribute to the conservation of the natural and historic resources of the Bahamas.

Our Achievements

The Trust’s achievements include the formation of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, the rescue of the West Indian flamingo and other endangered species from extinction; the protection of hundreds of thousands of acres of valuable wetlands, forests and islands; the recruitment of thousands of Bahamians as members; and, the introduction of environmental education to school curricula.

The Bahamas National Trust promotes policies that aim to reconcile economic development with scientifically based conservation principles. Among its major contributions to conservation are:

Responsibility for building and managing the national park system.
Designation of the Inagua National Park as a wetlands site of international importance under The Ramsar Convention.
Preparation of a national strategy of environment and development.
Recommendations for the promotion of ecotourism and for official protection of the country’s tourism product.
Independent review of environmental impact studies for projects such as major resort developments, residential subdivisions, and marine mining operations.
Spearheaded the establishment of a top-level government commission on the environment.
Designation of the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park as the first marine fishery reserve in the wider Caribbean area.
Recommendations for 52 additional park sites to protect the country’s biodiversity and significant historic and natural resources.
Successful management of the heavily hunted White-crowned pigeon population.
Contribution of an environmental syllabus to the national education curriculum.
Creation of the Abaco National Park in 1994 to rescue the Bahama Parrot from extinction.
Restoration of a degraded and polluted wetland area near the historic village of Adelaide on New Providence.
Participation in successive World Ecotourism Conferences, including the hosting of the 1995 conference in Nassau.
Establishment of The Heritage Fund endowment, which pioneered this form of financing among conservation groups worldwide.
Re-establishment of the Bahamas hutia population once thought to be extinct, on several islands.
Recommendations on fisheries regulations, including a successful campaign to halt long-line fishing in territorial waters.

Scope of Work

The Bahamas National Trust manages 12 national parks and protected areas and proposes to expand the park system to include more of the country’s most significant natural and historic resources. The Trust’s park management has brought the West Indian Flamingo back from near extinction to a thriving colony of some 60,000 birds in Inagua National Park, and it is working to achieve the same success with the endangered Bahamas Parrot on Abaco. The 40-acre Lucayan National Park on Grand Bahama encompasses one of the most extensive underwater cave and cavern systems in the world, and the Trust’s headquarters are located on an 11-acre garden of rare palms and native Bahamian woodland in the heart of Nassau, known as The Retreat.

Wildlife & Habitat Protection

One of the many tasks of the National Trust is to set species/habitat priorities and advise the government and private sector on ways to protect the country's biodiversity. For example, the Trust developed and implements a successful management programme for the White-crowned pigeon and other game birds in The Bahamas.

- Historic Preservation
The Trust aims to protect the national identity of The Bahamas through the preservation of historic sites and places of interest. A national register of historic buildings has been compiled and laws drafted to facilitate historic preservation. A five-part educational video series on historic buildings has been produced and the Trust is working to restore a ruined 18th century artillery emplacement in Nassau Harbour.

Nassau Public Library

Conservation Education

A conservation programme has been introduced to the national school curriculum, and public education is being carried forward through teacher education, publications, workshops, special events, and Discovery Club - a young members' programme for children aged 6 to 11.

Policy Planning & Strategy Development

The Trust advises government on policies and legislation regarding conservation and environmental matters and through its work has provided the country with excellent tools for sustainable resource management. Through its association with international scientific bodies the Trust has easy access to knowledge and experience not readily available locally. The Trust works closely with the Bahamas Environment, Science & Technology Commission (BEST) to implement provisions of the United Nations Biodiversity Convention. The Trust's own strategy for environment and development - based on an assessment of the country's natural resources and aimed at the integration of conservation and development through effective legislation and public education - became the basis for the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan which is required by the Biodiversity Convention. The Trust also makes vital contributions to fishery management and ecotourism development in the Bahamas on a regular basis.

-Research

The Bahamas National Trust continues to be a major resource centre and clearinghouse for scholars, organizations and government agencies conducting research relating to conservation in the Bahamas. In cooperation with BEST, the Trust has been heavily involved in setting up the Bahamas Biodiversity Data Management Project - another requirement of the Biodiversity Convention. These activities have expanded the country's information base and aid the working objectives of the Trust and all sectors with environmental portfolios.

For more information:
The Bahamas National Trust
P.O. Box N-4105
Nassau, Bahamas
Tel: (242) 393-1317
Fax: (242) 393-4978
Email: bnt@bahamas.net.bs

Information courtesy of The Bahamas National Trust

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