The Tribune

THE Bahamas National Trust will host underwater explorer Dr Sylvia Earle as well as Glenn Olson, of the National Audubon Society during their upcoming Bahamas Natural History Conference to be held from March 3 to 7.

Known as “Her Deepness” by the New Yorker magazine and the New York Times, a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress, and Time Magazine’s first “Hero for the Planet,” Dr Sylvia Earle has led more than 100 expeditions as an oceanographer and explorer, authored 180 publications, and lectured in 80 countries including Panama, China, the Galapagos Islands and of course the Bahamas.

Vanessa Haley-Benjamin, the Director of Science and Policy and one of the planners of BNHC said: “It is an honour to host Dr Earle during our scientific conference.

Her commitment to ignite public support for a network of global marine protected areas can challenge us to recommit ourselves to the protection of the biodiversity of our island nation and awareness of our Bahamian waters.”

In addition to Dr Earle, Glenn Olson, The National Audubon Society’s Donal C O’Brien Chair for Bird Conservation and Public Policy will also attend and speak at the conference.

Audubon has supported conservation and science efforts in the Bahamas since its founding in 1905 including saving the West Indian Flamingo from near extinction in the 1950s Olson has been with Audubon in various capacities since 1976 always supporting bird conservation. Additionally, he was a founding member and chairman of the Central Valley All Bird Joint Venture, and appointed by US Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar in 2010 and reappointed in 2013 by Sally Jewell to the council of North American Wetlands Conservation Act and to the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Advisory Committee which have collectively disbursed more than $4 billion to support bird and habitat conservation efforts over the past 20 years.

The National Audubon Society is currently working with the Bahamas National Trust to identify key locations for endangered shorebirds like the piping plover and establishing a National Park at Joulter Cays, Andros which supports ten percent of the entire Atlantic population of piping plovers.

In addition to speaking at the event, Olson will also be announcing a multi-year project in partnership with the Multi-Lateral Investment Fund within the Inter-American Development Bank and BNT to develop bird-based tourism on Inagua and Andros islands.

Additionally, former BNT Executive Director and accomplished international scientist, David G Campbell, is the featured presenter at the 2014 conference. This year’s theme for the conference ‘Discovering our Ephemeral Isles’ was inspired by the book ‘The Ephemeral Islands’ which was written by Campbell.

The BNT is encouraging the public, not just scientists, to register to attend the conference and benefit from the information to be shared during the week of conference presentations and special events.

“The Bahamas Natural History Symposium brings together over 50 scientists who are presently conducting research on species and ecosystems in The Bahamas. We encourage everyone to learn more about the work that is being presented at the conference and to attend as many of the sessions as possible,” said Eric Carey, BNT Executive Director.