The Tribune

THE Bahamas National Trust recently brought fun to the Discovery Club programme by challenging its 41 Discovery Clubs nationwide to create attention grabbing Public Service Announcements to increase awareness of invasive species and the problems that these unwelcomed guests can cause.

The Discovery Club students were instructed to compose inspiring messages that clearly outlined the threats posed by invasive species and the importance of being able to identify invaders and take action to control or eradicate them.

Club members and leaders accepted the challenge and submitted hundreds of entries to the BNT for judging in the areas of content, originality, technical production and format.

Dejae Woods, from Nicholls Town Primary Discovery Club, Andros, won first place. Second place went to Kelsey Marshall and Joshua Kelly of Friends of the Environment Discovery Club in Abaco and Muimi McClure from Albury Sayles Primary Discovery Club in New Providence won third place.

First place winner Dejae, a fourth grader at Nicholls Town Primary, said that her winning entry highlighted invasive species, which existed in her own yard. Both of her parents spoke of how the volume of research and enthusiasm put into the competition by their daughter has inspired them. The couple said that they will now “give deeper thought to what plants they use in their landscaping”. The Woods family said they are “also now committed to encouraging their neighbours to do the same as well”.

There were also a few honourable mentions from the competition, including Malaika Clarke and Gabriella Lewis, of Fresh Creek Primary, and Eddison Saunders and Patyra Bain, Crossing Rocks Primary, Abaco.

The first place winners received a Go Pro Camera. Second place winners received Kindle Fires, with third place winners receiving a water proof digital camera and digital cameras were awarded to those with honourable mention. Each of the four Discovery Club Leaders at the Nicholls Town Primary, the winning school, also received a $75 John Bull Gift certificate.

The BNT congratulated all of the winning clubs and the dedicated teachers, parents, and BNT members who made this event a success – especially, the exceptional committed team at Nicholls Town Primary.

The Discovery Club programme was started almost 20 years ago and involves nearly 900 club members throughout the Bahamas.

The programme is designed to take environmental science classes outdoors to expose members to a wide variety of field activities that keep them interested and excited about nature and fostering good stewardship of the environment.

Members of the Discovery Club get to visit the national parks, learn about native flora and fauna and the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems.