The Tribune

THE lath house, freshwater wetland display, edible history section and weather station were on full display at the opening of the second phase of the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve, where donor Shelby White gave the Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment an exclusive tour of the Preserve.

Speaking at the opening, Prime Minister Perry Christie noted, “In 2011 at its opening, Ms White declared, ‘I believe we have created the finest nature preserve in the Bahamas, a place that makes Eleuthera a must-visit tourist destination and of which we will all be proud’. I agree with this statement and I know that with the opening of this second phase, the preserve has become even more of an attraction for locals, tourists and Bahamians throughout the archipelago.”

The preserve is currently the only national park in Eleuthera, and its focus on native flora and fauna makes it a draw for all botanists, visitors and locals interested in Bahamian plants.

The BNT was also honoured to have accompany the Prime Minister on his visit the Minister of Tourism, MP Obie Wilchombe, the Minister of Environment and Housing, MP Kenred Dorsett, the Minister of State for Legal Affairs and MP for Central Eleuthera, Damien Gomez and Minister of Investment, MP Khalis Rolle for the opening of the second phase. It was a beautiful spring day of celebration as the Bahamas National Trust and the Leon Levy Foundation opened the freshwater wetland, the edible history section and showcased the new lath house, which is an outdoor wooden structure which provides seedlings with shade before setting them out into the garden. Lath houses are designed for propagation of native plants and trees.

“It was a great pleasure to have hosted the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues for this special event” noted Eric Carey, BNT executive director. “The Prime Minister expressed that what we have created at the preserve fits exactly with his vision for small botanical reserves throughout the Bahamas. We are pleased that the Levy Preserve has severed as such inspiration for our Prime Minister.”

Also attending the official opening was new BNT President, Lawrence Glinton, who made his first official speech at the event. “What is so important about the preserve, is that when you visit it - you can’t compare it to anything – it’s magnificent,” said Glinton. “The preserve represents everything that’s good about The Bahamas! There was no attempt to duplicate or copy anything, it’s all Bahamian!”

The preserve is open daily from 9am to 5pm for visitors, and BNT members can visit for free.