The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

IF the curiosity and natural scientific inkling of a child is nurtured, the possibilities are endless. In the case of Bahamian children, nurturing such natural passion is critical in the protection and preservation of the environment for generations to come. For Dr Ancilleno Davis, growing up spending his after school days at the Botanical Gardens planted him in the right nurturing grounds and produced one of the most outstanding Bahamian scientists today.

Ancilleno was born in Nassau and attended Catholic Schools - St Francis and Joseph on Boyd Road, then St Augustine’s College. While in primary school, the young Ancilleno spent his afternoon school days surrounded by the pristine beauty of the Botanical Gardens.

“We would walk around the corner to my mom’s work at the Royal Botanical Gardens,” he recalls.

“There, I met many of the scientists and environmental folk who would guide my learning.”

His love of nature, early exposure to plants and animals, and connection with scientists at work, proved the right formula to steer the young Ancilleno to an early path in science. His mother, Vivienne Rahming, worked at the Botanical Gardens. She introduced him to Dr Jeffry Lynn who was the Ministry of Agriculture’s Chief Veterinarian at the time. He met Eric Carey who also worked for the Ministry of Agriculture back then, and he eventually became the Executive Director of the Bahamas National Trust.

From an early age, Ancilleno found a way to empower himself: “I always used to ask the employees about all the plants and I gave impromptu tours to random tourists. I got a few tips back then - big money for a primary schooler!

Vivienne and his father, Ancil Davis raised their children, including his older brother, Jamison; older sister Nicolasena; and younger brother Bovair to follow their passions and work hard to achieve their goals. They all did just that and are successful in their respective fields today. Jamison is a professional in banking. Nicolasena works as an art teacher at St Thomas More. Bovair rose to Acting Sub Lieutenant in the Royal Bahamas Defense Force and now works at the United States Embassy, Nassau.

For Ancilleno, he found a way to succeed... but it wasn’t a path for the weak of heart. In order to attend the College of The Bahamas and begin his tertiary education in science, Ancilleno worked three jobs. Those jobs, along with the help of his mother and a special scholarship grant, helped to make his dreams come true. He was awarded the Marilu Tolo scholarship award for young men and women of high academic standing from the Lyford Cay Scholarship Foundation.

Eric Carey, who would have watched the young Ancilleno blossom, offered him a research position on the Kirtland’s Warbler Research and Training Programme after he completed his Associate of Arts degree in Biology with Chemistry at COB.

“That project got me started as a scientist studying birds on Andros and Eleuthera,” he said.

“I eventually moved to Abaco for the Parrot Project and was offered a scholarship by Dr James Wiley. The Parrot Project was basically me walking around in the forest for 8 to 12 hours a day trying to find out where the parrots nested, then getting GPS locations and recording as much data as I could.”

As simple as that may sound, Ancilleno’s work was critical in helping to map the nesting and movements of these endemic birds at a time when extinction was looming. These special birds are the only parrots recorded in the world to nest underground - taking to the crevices of Bahamian limestone in an effort that may be to protect them from the fires of the pine forest.

Ancilleno went on to attend the University of Maryland Eastern Shore where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science with focus on Marine Science. He then received a fellowship to complete his Master of Science degree in Marine Estuarine and Environmental Science before returning to his beloved Bahamas.

When he returned home, Ancilleno cleaned pools at the Atlantis Resorts for 16 months before joining the Nature Conservancy. Back on the science track and ready to make a difference in his country, Ancilleno found himself immersed in a series of important environmental projects between 2008 and 2012.

They include: coordinating the Kerzner Marine Foundation’s Blue Project; supporting the first leg of Prince Khaled bin Sultan’s Living Oceans Foundation’s Global Reef Expedition; the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill Response; the Bahamas National Trust’s ‘In Their Footsteps’ trip; and founding ‘Bahamians Educated in Natural and Geospatial Sciences’.

Kerzner’s Blue Project focused on coral reef conservation. Through this project, Ancilleno ended up starting the first ‘in situ’ coral nurseries in the Bahamas, growing coral from fragments in the ocean instead of in labs.

Eventually, Ancilleno decided to take his passion to another level and pursue his education even further. He left The Bahamas again to earn his PhD from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He funded his education through a scholarship by the Gerace Foundation and by working more than one job while schooling - a task that was difficult but necessary to achieve his goals.

He returned to The Bahamas in 2019 and worked at Blue Lagoon Island, leading the team to earning the first Travelife Global Certificate in Sustainable Tourism Partner Level Award. He also founded his company Science and Perspective, and coordinated the ground water monitoring activities for IsraAID in Abaco and Grand Bahama. Currently, Ancilleno is the Senior Scientist and Policy Analyst for The Bahamas National Trust (BNT).

Dr Ancilleno Davis is known as not only a scientist, but an educator and artist. He has taught at three universities in economics, physics, marine botany, ornithology and art. He is currently working on a project in the Abaco National Park with Demonica Brown, an Avian Science Officer at BNT. She leads the Caribbean Landbird Monitoring Work, conducting training and community engagement related to bird monitoring and conservation. This past Saturday, he was excited to participate in National Parks Day. Celebrations, led by the BNT, is always held on the Saturday after Earth Day. It is an international globally recognised day of environmental action and celebration.

When asked about opportunities for your Bahamians to pursue science in ways that will benefit their country, he said: “There are many opportunities, but not enough. Students also need to know that there are more types of science than just marine biology in the Bahamas - ornithology, entomology, soil science, botany, data science, and remote sensing are all out there.”

“The Bahamas has amazing natural resources... from the oceans to the forests,” he said, adding that young scientists have a vast world in science to explore right at home.

“Throughout my career, I have found that we need more Bahamian students involved. The research dies out after four years if we rely on the foreign funding. But a knowledgeable Bahamian community will take care of their parrots... their reefs... their conch, flamingoes and lobster for generations.”

As he continues his vital work, Ancilleno hopes to raise the level of his fellow Bahamian’s ability to read or view scientific information and “discern the truth or valuable information from the misinformation”.

“There are regular or pseudo science articles in the news and on social media that people share with me that may or may not have merit,” he said.

“Oftentimes, things spiral out of control when someone runs with a grain of truth and tries to build a house on it.”

Dr Davis is well known on social media for providing answers to some of the local videos that go viral. Most recently, someone filmed a caterpillar that was considered “alien” with huge eyes, a nose and mouth. He dispelled the myth by informing the public that the caterpillar would turn into a silk moth butterfly.

Eventually, by sharing as much information as possible, Bahamian scientists can help to create a more informed public. People are showing an increased interest in environmental protection.

The Bahamas Independence Secretariat has several environmental initiatives taking place as a part of the 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations. They include the Mangrove Project, in which grade six students across The Bahamas will plant mangroves and engage in activities to promote sustainability, and create awareness of climate change.

Then on International Arbour Day, grade 12 students in New Providence and the Family Islands will plant vegetables and fruit-bearing trees around the country. For more information on these and other events, visit www.celebrate-bahamas.com.