Uncategorized

Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve

[slideshow]

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 →

Uncategorized

New Cacique Blog Editor

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 →

Cacique Update

Cacique Update April 5, 2011

by Caciques JP Ferro and Sarah Becker

Jumping into the refreshing ocean this morning was a wake up call for JP and Sarah. Right as we hit the water, we both realized that we were swimming in the ocean while our friends back home were sitting in math class getting lectured. Everyone came back to campus from morning exercise to their chores, which range from cleaning boys/girls dorm to feeding the goats on the farm. After an ocean shower and a nutritious breakfast students had classes followed by lunch. Research classes came in the afternoon. JP made clod cards with his lionfish team, which measure the ocean currents. Sarah had a discussion with her Biodiesel research team about upcoming events. Continue reading →

Uncategorized

First day on patch reefs

[slideshow]

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 →

Cacique Update

Cacique Update April 4, 2011

by Caciques Caroline S. and Aidan

[slideshow]

David Miller began our Cacique meeting this morning by telling us he thought this was going to be the most important day of the semester, but he didn’t know why and neither did we. However, we soon realized that our time here has been flying. It is time to stop stressing out about homework and start appreciating every moment we have left. Throughout the day we held a positive attitude and tried to encourage others to do the same. For example, during community outreach it can be difficult to maintain enthusiasm during the long hours in the hot sun. Yesterday, however, we made an effort to remain upbeat and energetic throughout the afternoon. The best part of the day was Continue reading →

Cacique Update

Cacique Update April 3, 2011

by Caciques Bronte and TJ

Since we were elected to be Caciques on a Sunday, our schedules were very unstructured. This meant we had the freedom to spend the day however we wished. We each decided to do various activities in different locations. Writing a blog about two different people’s experiences would require two different blogs so we decided to blend the stories into one. We came up with a mixture of our two names to create one person and one story. Here is how Bronteejay’s day played out.

I, Bronteejay, arose from my slumber at 8:30am and 8:40am. Half of me wished I had slept longer while the other half was eager to go free-diving. Funny how that works.  Being as sleepy as I was, I decided to do homework rather than explore. But, coincidently, being as excited as I was, I decided to go free-diving as well. Half of me wished I was there, while the other half was. Continue reading →

Uncategorized

First week in patch reef research

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.

Cacique Update

Cacique Update April 2, 2011

By Caciques Alec and Annie

We began the day with a tiring 8 mile run to Deals Point, the longest distance run-track has accomplished so far. We then headed out for a three-hour research block during which time some our community got stuck in Rocksound due to a faulty van. They had the privilege of spending the entire day in Rocksound, visiting the market and interviewing locals for settlement day. We reunited with the rest of our community for dinner circle before beginning our Saturday night festivities. We started out the night by biking to the beach and watching the sunset as a community. Planning our bonfire and dance party, we eagerly biked back to school. After our long run and day in the field, we changed our mind and watched Blue Crush, a better suited activity after such a long day. The night ended with brownies, providing for a great finish to such an exhausting day.

 

Aquaponics, research

Aquaponics Research Update

How does the Aquaponics Research Crew  know what’s going on in their tanks full of Tilapia? They conduct a fish sampling. Watch as the Spring 11 research group demonstrates the techniques and methods used to collect data about our Tilapia fish populations.

Cacique Update

Cacique Update March 31, 2011

by Caciques Marco and Caroline V.

As we entered the water at current cut, a beautiful red sun peeked over the horizon in the distance.  The sun watched us, rising higher in the sky as we swam with the current twice, and against the current once.  The sun probably thought we were crazy; it was 6:45 am and we were not only swimming, but practically swimming in place because of the powerful water rushing against us.  As we struggled, we looked across to see someone swimming with no problem at all, passing us all with ease.  Of course, it was Chris Maxey. Continue reading →