LEON LEVY NATIVE PLANT PRESERVE Outreach and Education

The Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve (LLNPP) in its eighth year at the heart of Eleuthera, in Governor’s Harbour, continues to expand its reach and grow its impact as Eleuthera’s first National Park, which preserves much of the natural flora and fauna history of the Bahamas. Neatly tucked along the Banks Road it is a ‘must explore’ for all residents and visitors looking to take in the natural treasures on Eleuthera. The site offers miles of intimate trails, displaying the island’s coppice forest ecosystems, mangroves, traditional bush medicine plant varieties, a beautiful freshwater wetland feature showcasing native freshwater plants and freshwater turtles, as well as a lath house used for the propagation of native plant species and an edible history section, showcasing the story of the Bahamas through what people ate, and how those edible plant foods came to be here.

Outreach to and education of the Eleuthera public is a primary aim of the Preserve, and Heidi Johnson, the Preserve Manager since 2017, is eager to continue the vibrant relationship the nature sanctuary has with schools on the island, and to grow their relationship with the Eleuthera public, making more residents and visitors aware of how they can benefit from what the Preserve has to offer.

We want every Bahamian to think of this as theirs.

This is a gift to the island of Eleuthera and the Bahamas.

Any way we can work to partner, consult and advise, we are here.

Anyone can come and make inquiries and feel that this is theirs.

Every chance that you can get to come and interact with nature, you will always be the better for it.

We are the beneficiaries of our environment, and as many people we can reach and teach about protecting it - makes the Bahamas, and Eleuthera environments a little safer and more protected,” shared Heidi.

Preserving the knowledge- “BUSH MEDICINE”

“Many Bahamians connect with our plant life through the stories of bush medicine, if they were lucky enough to have grandparents and seniors to impart that knowledge to them. Much of that is being lost now, with a dying out of certain oral traditions. So, we help to continue that discussion here, especially with the children who come to do field trip tours, interacting with our staff. We aim for them to take in the information on more than just a surface level, and to be able to remember it and ideally be able to identify these plants when they come across them in the wild. They have sustained generations of Bahamians, and for those types of traditions to be lost would be doing ourselves a disservice.”

Shift in Focus - ‘SPACE TO LEARN’

During the next year, the Preserve plans a shift of focus to being even more of a resource for teachers that encourages the use of spaces at the Preserve for lessons outside of the classroom, enhancing students’ experiences with nature, using a multidisciplinary approach. “We know it’s going to be a delicate process, as we are aware that teachers usually have a very busy calendar year, however,

Visiting scientists and researchers are invited to give lectures and share their work, pertinent to the island throughout the year at the Levy Preserve. Seen above is Dr. John Mylroie, Professor Emeritus of Geology in the Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State University, lecturing on his theory about the origins of the unique Cow and Bull rock formations near the Glass Window bridge.

whenever we can, and when they can make themselves available, we are working to put in place resources here for them, so they can come and avail themselves of what we have, and the children can benefit from a more enriching lesson,” expressed the innovative young local Manager, adding, “There is always something new to see here, because the environment changes every day. We are also looking to add more components that are children specific, because we know children need to be engaged. They are more tactile. They need to be able to touch and see and experience and have that exchange.”

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Explore... a place to learn....

A visit to the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve, would certainly be a memorable one, smiled Ms. Johnson, praising her staff, “The experience from the time you walk through our gorgeous foyer until your departure - you will be greeted and warmly welcomed. I can’t say enough about my staff, because without them, this special place would not run efficiently. From our gift shop staff, to our education officer, who is phenomenal. She does great work with our students - long hours sometimes trying to coordinate things, but we get it done. Our ground staff - they are mainly behind the scenes, but you get to interact with them during guided tours. They are just wonderful, warm, and you get the passion and the love for what they do when you meet them, and they make every- one feel welcome. We want people to come back and be repeat guests. The love for the Preserve shines through in all of our staff members.”

As part of the BNT’s network of managed parks, the Preserve also plays an important role in communicating the message of protection, preservation and conservation - including advising and consulting with communities on preserving special areas. Recent public meetings about Sweeting’s Pond, where rare seahorse species have been found, are an example of recent efforts to engage the community on how an area can be utilized for their benefit and protected for future generations of Bahamians to enjoy. “The more information we can impart, from the youngest to the oldest, the better informed they are, the more conscientious they can be about the decisions that they make concerning their environment; and when they meet someone who is not from here, they can communicate with confidence the things to take into consideration when visiting our natural treasures,” shared Heidi.

Bringing attention to just a few of the many ways residents could benefit by engaging with the Preserve as advisors, Heidi, pointed to the prominent and important place the island’s native plants have within the ecosystem, and encouraged more people to introduce them into their immediate home and yard environments. She emphasized how advantageous it was for the entire island, extolling some of the special features of native trees and plants, like being drought tolerant - lessening the need to water constantly, withstanding certain insect pests, their hardiness in standing up to hurricane and storm conditions - more so than exotic, imported plants, their critical role in encouraging pollination for sustained plant life, attracting butterflies and bees, providing homes and sustenance for a myriad of bird life, as well as medicinal and food uses.

The Preserve is open every day of the year, including holidays, from 9am to 5pm. The admission fee is $10 for adults, $6 for children, and senior citizens $8. Admission is free to Bahamas National Trust members. A single BNT membership is $30 per year, and other membership tiers are available for seniors, students, families, as well as corporate.

The Preserve opened to the public in March of 2011 and was jointly created by the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), a non-profit organization which manages the national parks in the Bahamas, and a private not-for-profit foundation founded in 2004 by the estate of philanthropist and investment prodigy, Leon Levy.