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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
It was at the BAMSI packing house that the students learned about grading bananas and preparing produce for the market.
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Preparing young Bahamians for engagement in two critical components of the national economy, the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) held a Summer Education Enrichment Discovery (SEEDS) Programme June 21 – 26, for students from the R.N. Gomez All-Age School in the Berry Islands. The week long programme introduced students to a cross section of activities in the agricultural and marine science sectors.
“A significant part of our portfolio is to engage with young Bahamians to build an interest in agriculture and also marine science,” BAMSI’s Executive Director Dr. Raveenia Roberts-Hanna said. “At the end of the day we want to be able to attract the brightest and the best into these industries and one way to do that is to show students that agriculture is a viable career option by allowing them to participate in the ‘gate to the plate’ experience.”
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Led by Principal Brian Williams, the R.N. Gomez contingent – students Perry Butler, Jakyle Barry and Tamia Francis; Vice Principal Christine Saunders and biology teacher Elva Brown - spent an intense week going from the classroom to the farm to the community. Their time in the classroom was spent exploring the theoretical underpinnings of an assortment of agriculture-related topics, from soil science, animal science and drip irrigation to marine studies, aquaponics, and also agribusiness and entrepreneurship. The practical aspect of the programme saw them at the farm, visiting the greenhouse, packing house and also the expanding aquaponics facility.
“We are in love with the vision, what we saw here during the week we really love it. We look forward to partnering with BAMSI going forward because it’s something we believe in and it’s something that definitely should continue,” Mr. Williams said. “We are hearing what BAMSI is doing in North Andros, and we had a visit from Dr. Hanna earlier in the year when she explained what is being done here and what they offer so we came to BAMSI because we wanted to get the full experience to assist with our agriculture programme.”
As part of the SEEDS experience, the group visited the North Andros Packing House and where able to get hands-on experience in sorting, grading and packing onions.
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According to Mr. Williams, R.N. Gomez has a small agriculture module that is facilitated by Christine Atwood of Ripples of Hope, an internationally-based nonprofit organization that engages in global projects that empower the local community. The school does not currently have an agriculture teacher, but the programme is operated on a volunteer basis by staff and students. Spearheaded by Dirk McAulay, a teacher in the math and science department, the students work on the plot and in the greenhouse afterschool and on weekends learning how to prepare the soil and plant seedlings such as tomatoes, cabbage, eggplant, corn and even strawberries. It was through the generosity of Ripples of Hope that the trip to BAMSI was made possible.
The group arrived just in time for watermelon season! From left are Jakyle Barry, student, R.N. Gomez All Age School; Principal Brian Williams, R.N. Gomez All Age School; Carla Munnings, Manager, BAIC Packing House; Tamia Francis, student, R.N. Gomez; Executive Director of BAMSI Dr. Raveenia Roberts-Hanna, Debbie Munnings, BAIC Packing House Attendant; Elva Brown, R.N. Gomez teacher and Christine Saunders, Vice Principal, R.N. Gomez. Second Row from left: BAMSI lecturer and Soil Scientist Dr Joseph Lindsay and Perry Butler, R.N. Gomez student.
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“The students can now go back and apply what they’ve learned at BAMSI. This week went above and beyond our expectations, we got a whole wealth of knowledge and it has inspired some of our students to come to BAMSI as students,” Mr. Williams said.
Listing his top three experiences, Mr. Williams said the scope of the North Andros project has left him in awe. “Via the media you only hear bits and pieces, but when you get here and you see and hear firsthand what is going on and where the project is headed it’s mind blowing.” The principal added that he was very interested in the aquaponics and aquaculture aspect. “I’m looking forward to coming back when that is set up to see exactly how that is going to work. Even the greenhouse – I really like that because it’s giving us ideas of what we could do because we have a greenhouse set up and this is what I would like to see our greenhouse looking like in the future.”
The Berry Island contingent enjoyed lunch with the North Andros Island Administrator Ivan Ferguson. Front row from left: Ivan Ferguson, North Andros Administrator, Executive Director of BAMSI Dr. Raveenia Roberts-Hanna, Tamia Francis, R.N. Gomez All Age School student, R.N. Gomez Principal Brian Williams and R.N. Gomez teacher Elva Brown. Second Row from left: BAMSI lecturer and Soil Scientist Dr Joseph Lindsay, Dianne Brown, BAMSI lecturer; Perry Butler, R.N. Gomez student; Christine Saunders, Vice Principal, R.N. Gomez; Jarenda Rahming, Student Affairs Officer, BAMSI; Jakyle Barry, R.N. Gomez Student and Glanville Murphy, driver, BAMSI.
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Vice Principal Saunders said she was impressed with what she had seen during the week. “Look at the bananas, I’m impressed with the work that it entails to grow them. It’s amazing how they take the flowers off the bananas to protect them from insects. Every tiny little aspect they have to look into it - they can’t let a mark get on the bananas because that one they can’t take to the market.” And of her visit to North Andros? As interesting as it seems coming from one Family Island to the next - Mrs. Saunders said she enjoyed the shopping because the prices were so low, and also the opportunity to go crabbing.
A sentiment expressed by all was their inability to grasp the extent of the BAMSI project before their visit. “BAMSI has a vision, all the Bahamas should be a part of that vision because it will benefit the country,” Ms. Brown said.
With the successful close of the Summer Education Enrichment Discovery Programme (SEEDS), the participants received their certificates from Dr. Hanna. From left are; Elva Brown, R.N. Gomez teacher and Christine Saunders, Vice Principal, R.N. Gomez; Executive Director of BAMSI Dr. Raveenia Roberts-Hanna, Tamia Francis, R.N. Gomez All Age School student, R.N. Gomez Principal Brian Williams, and R.N. Gomez students Perry Butler and Jakyle Barry.
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As a vegetarian, she also expressed an interest in the aquaponics system once she found out that it did not have to be an expensive process and that the use of simple materials could yield a rich bounty of vegetables. She also noted that come September she would be introducing aspects of agriculture into her biology classes.
Seventeen year old Perry Butler, who heads into the 12th grade come September, said his trip to BAMSI has caused him to reconsider his career options once he graduates. While he has an interest in backyard farming he initially wanted to enter the civil service as either a customs or immigration officer, Mr. Butler said he now thinks he will attend BAMSI and pursue a degree in Marine Science. Among the highlights of his trip, Mr. Butler said that he enjoyed vising the green house and the aquaponics facility.
During the SEEDS programme, the Berry Island students had the opportunity to hear from lecturers at BAMSI on a diverse array of subject areas – from soil science, animal science and drip irrigation to marine studies, aquaponics, and aquaculture.
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With the first installment of the SEEDS programme coming to a successful conclusion, the hope is that as more schools and youth groups engage with BAMSI, it will drive further interest in the industry, attracting more students to the Institute and into the sector overall.
“The launch of the SEEDS programme is not only about the long-term increase of our student population at BAMSI, but creating an awareness of agriculture and building interest in the subsectors such as backyard farming, aquaponics, aquaculture, animal science, conservation issues and even the transformation of locally grown items into sought after produce and end-products,” Dr Roberts-Hanna said. “Particularly for those students who come from schools who do not have an agricultural programme, we want to bring the sector to life for them, and ultimately plant a seed that in years to come will ensure a rich harvest for the Bahamas - see the development of sustainable practices and our ability to feed ourselves.”
© Copyright 2015 by thebahamasweekly.com
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