By Sara Westhead

Though only a small private college located in St. Augustine, Florida, Flagler College has some big dreams for their students in regards to protecting and conserving the environment. As a result, in the fall of 2013, the school launched their Coastal Environmental Science programme, which is designed to give students hands-on research experience, including opportunities overseas.

Subsequently, over the last two years the school has been able to offer students a study abroad course set in Bermuda, with the assistance of the Atlantic Conservation Partnership (ACP) and the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.

Students visiting Nonsuch Island with Jeremy Madiros. Photo by C. Stringer

This year’s students arrived on Saturday, May 16th, and spent a full week in lectures and exploring the island through a number of field experiences, including snorkeling and scuba diving excursions, as well as visits to Nonsuch Island and local waste facilities, including Tyne’s Bay Incinerator and the Material Recovery Facility. They also enjoyed lectures by some of Bermuda’s top scientists and conservationists, including Dr. Jamie Bacon, Stuart Hayward and Jeremy Madeiros.

This year, they were also joined by a group of students from the Bermuda College, who were able to add their perspective and local knowledge to discussions.

“We were teaching two courses: ‘An Introduction to Sustainability’ and ‘A Marine Biology Field Experience’,” explained Dr. Jessica Veenstra, who has accompanied this year’s students. “Bermuda is a fantastic place for us to conduct this curriculum. It is a great place for our students to explore the issues of sustainability, by trying to answer the questions of how to provide water, energy, and food, while managing the wastes of a growing population in a place that is land and resource limited. We were also able to explore how that growing population is impacting the surrounding marine resources. Bermuda has such an incredible variety of marine habitats in such a small area, and that makes it a great place to learn about these different ecosystems.”

“We hope students can visualize the struggles and successes involved with sustainability in both Bermuda and the US,” shared Dr. Ed McGinley, also from Flagler. “Each place has its unique issues, but there are lessons to be learned from looking at how other communities approach the topic. Both Flagler students, and the Bermuda College students, have a strong connection to the marine environment, and sustainability can help preserve our marine resources.”

“It was wonderful to welcome the students from Flagler to Bermuda,” said local course coordinator, Camilla Stringer. “The weather was perfect for Marine Biology Field Study snorkels and diving trips. In addition, the group was able to visit various sites around the island, getting first-hand experience related to their studies on conservation and sustainability.”