In the last week of March, The Island School campus had the honor of hosting cave diver, Brian Kakuk and his team at The Island School and Cape Eleuthera Institute. Brian and his team have been diving caves and blue holes in The Bahamas for more than 20 years and were in South Eleuthera on an expedition. The many Blue Holes in South Eleuthera contain an intact fossil record that is helping the scientists piece together the history of The Bahamas as far back as 4,000 years ago. Continue reading
Reel Fishy Jobs visited CEI to film an episode last fall– check out the video here!
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Congratulations to the Bahamas National Trust and Shelby White in the opening of the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve, a 25 acre national park in Governor’s Harbour. Members from the Cape Eleuthera Foundation and Cape Eleuthera Island School community joined government officials, international botanists, Bahamian citizens and school children to celebrate the grand opening of the first national park in Eleuthera last week. It is rewarding to witness the creation of a sanctuary in Eleuthera which shares the common goal of sustainability through conservation, education and research. The preserve was created to “continue Leon Levy’s philanthropic legacy and to build on his vision, encouraging and supporting excellence in six broad areas: Understanding the Ancient World; Arts and Humanities; Preservation of Nature and Gardens; Brain Research and Science; Human Rights; and Jewish Culture” (Leon Levy Foundation). Continue reading
Note from the Editor Nick Manning:
Hello to all you readers of the Island School blog. My name is Nick Manning, and as I sit here on my porch, looking out over the sea, feeling the breeze and listening to the waves, I can only imagine how much you wish you were here in my place, and I in yours. As much as I would love to be working in a crowded building, or shuffling though the masses of people who don’t seem to know how to walk at a normal speed or stop and take the time to appreciate their surroundings, I am cursed to quietly enjoy the pleasant Bahamian air, and lay out here in the sun. Anyway, I write to you all because I wanted to let you know about my job for the next few weeks. Continue reading
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This week in patch reef research we had our first field day on the patch reefs. With visitors from Williams College and the New York Harbor School, we loaded the boat and headed out to patch reefs # 23 and 24. We all expected the patch reefs to be large structures in the ocean, but once Elyssa pointed them out to us, we were surprised to see that they are actually very small. Although they are small, the fish in the patch reefs are abundant. Through visual inspection, we were able to identify many different fish species such as the Nassau grouper (one of our key species!), grey angelfish, and striped parrotfish. Continue reading
Our first week in patch reef research was a new experience for almost all of us. The first class consisted of an introduction to the research we will be conducting this semester. By the second class, we went to Forth Hole on our bikes for our first reef exploration. We were able to use our newly gained knowledge to identify fish species living on the reefs and practice marking the abundance of different fish species. Even though the depth was only four feet, we saw fish species ranging from a Great barracuda to small damsel fish. Even though we were all happy to have explored our first coral reef, we were freezing and ready to get out and lie in the sun while reflecting on our sightings. We are eager to improve our surveying abilities through this research course.
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“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” -Howard Thurman
On March 25th and 26th, 70 individuals gathered at The Island School to celebrate students and schools that have been going to work to solve real-world problems, proving that authentic learning can happen outside of a traditional classroom curriculum. Delegations representing twelve schools and independent organizations presented on their work ranging from oyster aquaculture in New York Harbor to building a solar house. Representatives participated in an open house-style expo and formally presented to an audience that included Spring 2011 Island School students. The conference was fortunate to host United States Ambassador to The Bahamas Nicole Avant on Friday afternoon, where she spoke about the power of young people during the keynote address.
On Saturday a group of panelists, facilitated by Middlebury professor Dr. Jon Isham, shared insights on their work, challenges they have faced, and advice on how to network. Panelists included Murray Fisher, founder of New York Harbor School; Betsy Vogel-Boze, president of College of The Bahamas; Liz Robinson, director of the Center for Creativity and Innovation at Middlebury; Nikita Shiel-Rolle, founder of Young Bahamian Marine Scientists program, and several other distinguished conference guests. Conference guests agreed: the most inspiring parts of the conference were the presentations by students ranging in age from 15 to 25 sharing the work they have done. “All the presentations were outstanding and I was humbled and inspired by all that I witnessed,” said Michael Denning, a college counselor from Noble and Greenough School who attended the conference. Continue reading
When there is land: run. When you hit water: swim. It’s that simple. It’s the Run/Swim.
A staple of the Island School experience, the Run/Swim is an exercise that challenges you physically and mentally. After a mass start just north of the boathouse docks, limbs tangle and it is difficult to gain forward momentum due to frenetic kicking disturbing the placid water. Faces can get kicked, and mouthfuls of water may be ingested in the first frenetic seconds of the event.
Normally during morning exercise, the group stops to wait for all participants and we move between each obstacle in unity, and with a swim buddy. In the timed Run/Swim, we have to support throughout the entire course, allowing each person to strive for a personal best. Moving swiftly through the tiny trails on each spit of land poses unique obstacles. On the first overland traverse, concrete blocks are piled in the middle of the goat path creating an obstruction. Careful foot placement and a leap up over the barrier and you’re off… Continue reading
Beautiful and venomous… a combination which will inevitably garner some interest and excitement. Still, one must never judge a book by its cover. This has never rung truer than in the case of lionfish. As the semester progresses, the research team, consisting of JP, True, Holly, Jessica, Ellie and Jack will deepen their understanding of lionfish and their effects on the Bahamas
Native to the Indo-Pacific, witnessing a lionfish can often be considered a treat for divers. This notion was quickly squashed as the team spent their first research Tuesday discussing the fish and its impact on ecosystems, paying close attention to how this invasive can reduce recruitment of native reef fishes. With a better understanding, the team was ready to literally, dive into their research. Leading the research team is the infamous Skylar, known to have filleted a whole lionfish in under 5 seconds. Already managing a separate research program, Skylar and her intern, lionfish ninja (use your imagination people!) Avery, are well prepared to facilitate the research. After getting suited up for a dive on a local patch reef, faculty advisor Peter heroically led us beneath the calm blue sea. Continue reading