“Tingum in da bush ain’t gat no name!” – Grade 7 students and their buddies explore the native plants found in Eleuthera’s “bush”

Grade 7 Students of DCMS and their “buddies” from The Island School are on a journey to educate themselves about the natural heritage of our islands. We are partnering with 40,000 schools around the world in the eco-schools federation to make a brighter greener future. Bahamian schools are focusing on the often-overlooked issue of native biodiversity.

To date we have:

• Planted more than 100 native seeds.
• Carved out a forest trail in the native forest behind the school.
• Educated ourselves and each other, on the medicinal uses of native plants. High lights include – the cascarilla bark used to make Campari liquor, sage, which can treat measles and “chick pops” (as we call them here), the delicious pigeon plum, the ubiquitous gum elemi and its dangerous companion poison wood.
• Identified the key invasive species threatening the Bahamian ecosystem.

We look forward to:

• Landscaping our school with Native plants
• Creating and sampling native bush teas, dyes and plant crafts
• Sharing our journey with other students on Eleuthera and around the world

Grade 7 students love their buddies and have organised a routine for their arrival every day that includes shaking everyone’s hand and singing our class “silly songs” together. (Ask your student about the adventures of the little green frog when you next speak)  Island school students have been whole heartedly committed to furthering our project goals and many have shown a great interest in the unique natural heritage of our island. They have enjoyed a the old island pass time of “ramblin’ in da bush” and getting their hands dirty in the garden.