The Tribune

AN education officer with the Bahamas National Trust hopes to prepare Bahamians for “serious climate-driven threats” after being awarded a Chevening scholarship.

Ann-Marie Carroll has been working with the BNT for the past five years, and has been awarded a fully-funded Master of Science degree in environmental management at the University of Stirling in Stirling, Scotland.

She said: “Sustainable development, environmental education, and environmental stewardship are my passions. I want to help equip Bahamians with the tools needed to survive and thrive in the face of serious climate-driven threats, while teaching the next generation about the fundamental importance of environmental preservation and natural resource management.”

Her Chevening Award is being funded by the Charles Hayward Foundation as part of the first Bahamian partnership with the scholarship programme. The scholarship includes tuition, accommodation, stipend, and return air travel.

Ann-Marie said: “I will gain an in-depth understanding of cutting-edge strategies being tested around the world to combat sea level rise, ocean warming, stronger storms and other devastating consequences of climate change. The aim is to bring this expertise back and help The Bahamas create its own plan for a secure and prosperous future through sustainability and environmental preservation.”

In 2011, Ann-Marie received a Bahamas Environmental Steward Scholar (BESS) award to attend the Island School in Eleuthera. She went on to graduate from the University of the West Indies with an undergraduate degree in biology. She also created an educational blog in 2020 called EcoTings where she provides free environmental education and resources to the Bahamian public.

High Commissioner Thomas Hartley said: “Let me wish Ann-Marie the best of luck – she will have so much fun in the UK. And I’m excited about the next application window for Chevening scholarships, which opens next week ready for 2024.”

The Charles Hayward Foundation Chevening Award will fund one scholarship per year for three academic years.

Rupert Hayward, director of the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) and great grandson of the Foundation’s founder, said: “I could not have hoped of a better recipient of the inaugural Charles Hayward Foundation Chevening Award. This experience will allow her to gain the expertise necessary to lead the way in finding solutions for the climate crisis and other ecological challenges which disproportionately impact The Bahamas as a low-lying coastal nation.”