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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Local
Andros Island, The Bahamas - The West Side National Park located on the northwest side of Andros Island has been in existence since 2002. However, several Androsians and Bahamians that have been using the west side for years were, and in some cases are still not aware of the park’s existence nor its boundaries. In the past, this park like a few other parks in the Bahamas was not recognized for its unique natural features and has not been actively managed because of limited capacity to do so. Since 2006, The Nature Conservancy (the Conservancy) has been working collectively with The Bahamas National Trust (BNT), Andros Conservancy and Trust (ANCAT), Nature’s Hope for South Andros, The Department of Marine Resources and The Kerzner Marine Foundation to promote both the existing and, the expansion of the West Side National Park while encouraging sustainable use of the area. The west side consists of vast areas of tidal flats with many small islands and estuaries that provide nursery and feeding areas for commercially valuable species like, snapper, spiny lobster, tarpon, and bonefish. By expanding the boundaries of the national park and implementing effective management, important wildlife and habitats will be preserved well into the future. As part of our effort to promote the protection and sustainable use of the west side of Andros, the project team has been encouraging community members of all ages and leaders to visit the area and witness some of Andros’ natural hidden treasures. On June 16th, 2010 project partners along with Captain Roosevelt “Roggie” Rahming conducted a boat trip to the west side with the graduating class of High Rock Primary, from South Andros along with Ms. Edgecombe (teacher) and Ms. Gibson (staff member).
Figure 1 (from the back-left) Sharon Henfield from Nature’s Hope, Ms. Edgecombe, Ms. Gibson and the graduating class from High Rock Primary in South Andros getting ready for their journey to the west side of Andros. Photo by Felicity Burrows. Initially the students were given the option to visit Eleuthera for their graduating trip but instead they stated that they wish to learn more about their own island and thus preferred to visit the west side, which is an area that many have not had an opportunity to visit. While conducting the trip, Felicity Burrows Project Manager from the Conservancy and Sharon Henfield from Nature’s Hope, identified and discussed with participants the importance of the various natural resources that they encountered. For example, red mangroves which are abundant and grow up to 25feet on the west side (Figure 2) play a vital role in protecting the shoreline and providing nursery areas for many types of juvenile animals such as snappers and spiny lobster that grow into adults and Bahamians then have the luxury of enjoying as a meal.
Figure 2. Healthy stands of red mangroves on the west side of Andros. Photo by Felicity Burrows (TNC).
The students were extremely excited about the natural wonders they witnessed on the west side such as tarpon “rolling,” the large population of adult green turtles, dolphins which swam directly up to the boat, nurse sharks, Andros rock iguanas (Figure 3a and b), night herrings and even flamingoes! The students had never seen flamingoes in the wild and found this to be a breathtaking experience as they watched the birds take flight.
Figure 3a. Students searching on land for signs of iguanas. Photo by Felicity Burrows (TNC).
Figure 3b. Andros Rock Iguana. Photo by Carlton Ward, Jr .
Ms. Edgecombe, said “I had no idea all that exist on Andros, this is truly amazing!” Miss Burrows said it is always a wonderful opportunity to visit the west side and to showcase to others the magnificence of this area. The more we educate students and community members on the value of our natural resources in supporting the economy and maintaining our quality of life, the greater the chance we have to encourage others to make positive decisions as it relate to the environment. Bahamians must realize it is the responsibility of all of us to do our part in minimizing threats to the environment as well as understanding the importance of preservation if we intend to enjoy all that we have been blessed with well into the future. For more information regarding the Andros West Side Project, please contact Felicity Burrows at The Nature Conservancy, 326-0024 or fburrows@tnc.org.or Tamica Rahming at The Bahamas National Trust, 393-1317 or trahming@bnt.bs
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