Photo Highlights: Weighing marine debris for the International Coastal Cleanup Day to report data back to the Ocean Conservancy for global marine debris report; Pollution talk to Lucayan International School by EARTHCARE volunteer; Marine debris: very harmful balloons washed up on a Grand Bahama beach on Earth Day; Bird identification at Garden of the Groves; Dead Caribbean Pines at the Freeport Harbour area due to saltwater intrusion from hurricanes and cutting into the freshwater table to widen the harbour; Juvenile night heron on Williams Town, Grand Bahama beach; and a Butterfly at Garden of the Groves.

EARTHCARE celebrates Earth Day, 2012.  Looking back over the last 24 years, we are proud to see that we were able to reach many students and teachers in the Northern Bahamas as well as members of the public.  From the first 2nd grade class that we addressed in 1988 on Climate change and Ozone Depletion to the teens we meet in 2012 who are empowered by the Governor’s General Youth Award programme to clean up their environment and pressure their parents to recycle it has been a rewarding time.  It is a good feeling yet there is so much more work to be done and more people to reach.

In April EARTHCARE is speaking to service clubs, such as the Rotary Club at Sunrise, Pilot Club of Freeport and the Rotary Club of Lucaya on Grand Bahama on Coastal Awareness month on behalf of the Sustainable EcoTourism Committee of the Grand Bahama Ministry of Tourism & Aviation office, a part of the national Coastal Awareness committee headed by Earlston McPhee of the Nassau Ministry of Tourism and Aviation.

Also in April EARTHCARE will be participating the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival between April 22nd and May 22nd.  In March EARTHCARE donated the Volume VI of the SWOT (State of the World’s Ocean Turtles) to add to the previous volumes that we donated to the schools of Grand Bahama.  We thank the Ministry of Education in Freeport’s, Herbert Marshall for seeing that all of the books were distributed when we got the grant from SWOT and also this year.


In February, 2012 EARTHCARE and the Sustainable EcoTourism Committee put up a World Wetlands Day exhibit at the Freeport Post Office.  Educational materials were made available to the public during that exhibit.  We thank Debbie Pennerman and her helpful staff at the Post Office for kindly accommodating us once again.  The theme this year was:  Wetland Tourism, A Great Experience, Responsible tourism supports wetlands and people.

EARTHCARE member, Candice Woon assisted the Bahamas National Trust and the Pew Environment Group with their campaign to protect sharks in The Bahamas.  This is particularly significant in that when she did this she was an 8th grade student from Bishop Michael Eldon High School.  Pierre Yves Cousteau the son of famous oceanographer, ocean conservationist, Philippe Cousteau came to The Bahamas to assist the BNT and Pew Environment Group.  He met with Candice who was able to teach him some things that he did not know about sharks from her experiences at the Dr. Sam Gruber’s Bimini Sharklab on South Bimini.  In addition, she was filmed speaking about her prize winning Science Fair project, “Sharks, friend or foe?” for a documentary on sharks.  The Bahamas National Trust and the Pew Environment Group were successful in persuading the Government of The Bahamas to issue sweeping legislation which protects all species of sharks within The Bahamas.

EARTHCARE is appealing to the public for any donations that could help us to continue our work.  Due to the current economic climate we have been unable to secure any grant funding for the past 2 years and we are working on air right now. 

Our website is:   www.eco-index.org/ong/ earthcar e -bs-eng.html .  Join our Facebook page , EARTHCARE   Happy Earth Day!