A South Eleuthera Island School Journey
Shicardo Knowles was raised in Deep Creek, Eleuthera. This past summer, he completed a six-week Summer Apprenticeship with The Island School in the Communications department. Over the course of the…
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Education, Research and Innovation at The Island School
Read on for program highlights, research results, all-star alumni, sustainable living ideas, and more.
Field Notes from an Island School Apprentice
About the Writer: Jade Knowles, a 2017 Deep Creek Middle School alumna, spent her summer working as a Climate Change Research Apprentice at The Island School. She is from Nassau,…
Fast Fashion and Climate Change
What is Fast Fashion? Every year, we as a global society produce 92 million tons of clothing-related waste. This is enough discarded clothing to fill one garbage truck every second. …
The Lab School: Celebrating in-person instruction at Deep Creek Primary School
Imagine the pure zeal of the first day of school for every child after nearly two years of online learning! This visualization captures the energy of the students at Deep Creek Primary School the week of January 24, 2022, when schools in The Bahamas were permitted to resume face to face instruction. Despite the many global challenges faced by the COVID-19 pandemic including learning, the Deep Creek Primary School and The Island School partnership feels stronger than ever, and it is slated to be a strong finish to the academic year with all hands and resources on deck.
Coral Restoration for Younger Generations from South Eleuthera
Through our restoration projects, our team promotes a connection between people and the environment in The Bahamas. As part of this effort, Coral Researcher & PADI IDC Staff Instructor Natalia Hurtado taught the PADI open water course to 5 participants of an extracurricular mentorship program at The Island School called the Young Men’s Leadership Program (YMLP). One of the participants said after the course “What I liked most about the open water course was being given the opportunity to explore the ocean.”
School Without Walls 2021
Last month, we held our third and final session of Schools Without Walls for the academic year. This week of experiential learning sees our Deep Creek Middle School students immerse themselves into other branches of the organization, which includes helping with research projects, working on our campus’s sustainability initiatives, and exploring iconic cultural and natural history sites across Eleuthera.
School Without Walls
Over the past two weeks the CEI Sea Turtle Research and Conservation team has had the opportunity to join forces with the grade 7 and 8 classes of Deep Creek…
CEI team visits with Space 2 Create summer camp
Last week, four members of staff from Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) visited Harbour Island as part of an outreach event working with the summer camp Space 2 Create. Space 2…
Summer internships a success!
The sea turtle research program welcomed four interns to the team this summer. Arriving June 20th, the interns worked hard both in the field and in the lab for 8…
Studying the knowledge and consumption of lionfish on Eleuthera
Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) is a venomous species that has been invasive to The Bahamas for over a decade (since 2004). It was first observed around Eleuthera in 2005 and…
Sea Turtle team supports the Bahamas National Trust summer camp
On Thursday, July 28th representatives from the sea turtle research team at CEI went to the Leon Levy Preserve in Governor’s Harbour to share their knowledge about sea turtles with…
American Elasmobranch Society meets in New Orleans
The American Elasmobranch Society recently met in New Orleans for their annual meeting, attended by an international collective of shark and ray scientists to discuss current and ongoing work in…
First Island School Student to Presents Research Poster at BNHC
CEI was well represented at the regional 2016 Bahamas Natural History Conference, with representatives giving talks on plastics, climate change, rare shrimp, turtles, conch, sharks and lionfish. More excitingly, the first…
Local marina and tournament anglers contribute to research at CEI
This February, the Cape Eleuthera Institute partnered with Davis Harbor Marina and the Cotton Bay Club for the inaugural Davis Harbour Wahoo Rally. The two day fishing tournament allowed Davis…
Another outreach event with the Stingray Team!
Members of the Stingray Research Group from the Cape Eleuthera Institute’s Shark Research and Conservation Program have recently completed two days of outreach on Great Exuma. Following on from the…
Lionfish: Island School’s favorite dish!
The invasion of lionfish on reefs of the West Atlantic has become an issue of critical concern. With eradication not possible, the silver lining is that lionfish are delicious. The…
Oh Happy Day!
The Sea Turtle Research team held an in-reach for local staff on Tuesday, December 1. Local staff members who had never gone “turtling” before, and many who had never seen…
Final Earthwatch team of 2015!
The Cape Eleuthera Institute Sea Turtle Research and Conservation team finished off an awesome year of Earthwatch trips with the 8th and final Earthwatch team of 2015. Participants from the…
CEI Stingray Research Group takes Bahamian Staff out for a day of ‘Inreach’
Last week, the Stingray Research Group, headed by Dr. Owen O’Shea, took 15 of our Bahamian staff members out to The Schooner Cays– a location the majority of staff have never…
Halloween Spooktacular- Lionfish Treats
On the night of Halloween, the CEI team put on their lionfish costumes and travelled to the Spooktacular event at the Leon Levy Native Plant Reserve in Governor’s Harbour. The…
Lionfish outreach at Wemyss Bight Homecoming
On October 10, the CEI team headed to Wemyss Bight Homecoming to spread the word about the lionfish invasion. The team was armed with a large batch of lionfish fritters…
CEI visits Students of Spanish Wells to talk rays and sharks!
On Friday 18th September, Dr. Owen O’Shea of the Shark Research and Conservation Program along with Shark Program intern Amanda Billotti and Educational Program leaders, Anna Zuke and Lydia Geschiere…
Educational Programs Team hosts Akhepran International Academy
While all visiting groups are special to us here at CEI, certain ones touch our hearts in unique and unexpected ways. Akhepran International Academy, visiting us for the first time…
CEI represented at the 13th annual FSBI conference at Plymouth University, UK
Plymouth University and the historical Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom hosted the 2015 Fisheries Society of the British Isles annual conference. This year’s symposium theme was the biology,…
BREEF 2015 Summer Camp at CEI!
On Friday, August 21st, the Shark Research and Conservation Program at the Cape Eleuthera Institute was once again honored to host and be involved with 22 young Bahamian students from…
The South Eleuthera Children’s Camp celebrates its 20th year!
Friday, July 24th marked the culmination of the 20th summer of the South Eleuthera Children’s Camp at Cape Eleuthera. Fourteen children between the ages of 8 and 14 attended the…
CEI Research Assistant works with sea turtle hatchlings in Costa Rica
For two weeks in early July, Rachel Miller, Research Assistant for the Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Program, headed to Costa Rica to lead a marine biology summer camp. This…
CEI Research Manager attends Coral Reef Strategic Planning Workshop
The Bahamas National Trust invited the Cape Eleuthera Institute to participate in a Strategic Planning Workshop intended to develop a national strategy for improving the health of coral reef ecosystems and…
The Island School Hosts an International Youth Summit with Musician Jack Johnson and 5 Gyres
Two weekends ago, The Island School hosted the SEA Change Youth Summit with musician, Jack Johnson and 5 Gyres to raise awareness about the impacts of plastic pollution in the ocean and to…
CEI/ Island School Research Expo a big success
On Saturday, June 6, Spring 2015 Island School students participated in the Research Expo, their final Research Class assignment, which coincided with the Youth Action Island Summit hosted at the…
Sustainable Fisheries team represents at 2015 Conch Fest!
Last weekend, Deep Creek hosted its annual Conch Fest. Unlike past years, Conch Fest was new and improved, focused on keeping Deep Creek green, clean, and pristine. Instead of using plastic…
Second Deep Creek Cleanup a big success!
Last week, over 30 members of the Deep Creek community gathered to conduct a second trash clean up. Led by Brittney Maxey, Educational Programs and Youth Action Island Summit Volunteer, and…
Lyford Cay International School visits the Cape Eleuthera Institute
Lyford Cay International School in New Providence brought 25 bubbly 5th graders down for a 3 day sustainability program at the Cape Eleuthera Institute. Besides learning about topics such as Bahamian ooidic…
Joining forces to make Deep Creek Clean, Green, and Pristine!
Last Saturday morning, members from the Deep Creek Homecoming Committee and community partnered up with Deep Creek residents from Cape Eleuthera Institute and students and faculty from The Deep Creek Middle School…
Sustainable Fisheries team represents at Rock Sound Homecoming
This past Saturday, the Sustainable Fisheries team travelled to Rock Sound for the annual Homecoming to represent The Cape Eleuthera Institute. The booth, decorated with educational materials pertaining to invasive…
Researchers travel to Great Exuma to present at the Bahamas Conservation Symposium
In March, Florida State University Master’s students Brendan Talwar and Mackellar Violich, and Flats Ecology and Conservation intern Georgie Burruss traveled to Great Exuma to present at the Bahamas Conservation…
Sea Turtle Team Takes DCMS Students in the Field
On Friday, January 23, the Sea Turtle Research Team was joined by the Grade 7 students from Deep Creek Middle School. The day was started by reviewing the biology of different species of sea turtles and talking…
PH Albury & DCMS Eco Clubs Team Up for SEEP Recycling
This past Saturday, the Deep Creek Middle School Early Act and Eco Club teamed up with Preston H. Albury High School’s newly formed Eco Club to sort plastics 1, 2,…
Williams College visits Eleuthera and works on sustainable food systems
Eleuthera was recently visited by a group of students from Williams College (Massachusetts). Their trip focused on Eleuthera’s food systems, with a focus on sustainable production. Over the past two…
Deep Creek Primary School Community Garden: Jump starting healthy meals for the community
Deep Creek Primary School, with the assistance of The Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI), has started a new initiative to build a school community garden with the aim to provide students…
Successful lionfish jewelry workshop in Deep Creek
As invasive lionfish decimate Caribbean coral reef systems, consumptive fishery demand is promoted as one of the best ways to control their populations. Recently, though, there is a new reason…
Fall 2014 IS/CEI Symposium Focuses on Outreach
The Island School and Cape Eleuthera Institute Research Symposium was held last Saturday, November 29. As with previous years, The Island School students prepared scientific posters about their Applied Research…
Slayer Campaign Launches Year-Round
After its initial trial launch in April of this year and a successful 4-month run, the CEI Lionfish Research and Education Program’s “You Slay, We Pay” campaign has now been…
Lyford Cay ‘Take Action’ Projects Get Inspiration from CEI Visit
Last week, a group of grade 8 students from the Lyford Cay International School flew over from Nassau to visit the Cape Eleuthera Island School. These sixteen students made it…
Lyford Cay Students Explore Sustainability
In the last week of October, CEI welcomed Lyford Cay International School’s two classes for their annual visit. Denise Mizell, a science teacher at Lyford Cay, brought grade 10 to…
First-Ever Bahamian Lionfish Jewelry Making and Awareness Workshop a Huge Success
The lionfish, an invasive predator from the Indo Pacific currently wreaking havoc on Caribbean and South American coral reef fish populations, was first introduced to the region through the exotic…
South Eleuthera Primary Schools Explore Marine Invertebrates & Sustainable Systems
Green Castle Primary School’s teacher, Ms. Mary Thompson, brought her class of students in grades 5 & 6 for a marine invertebrate and snorkel trip at the Cape Eleuthera Institute last…
Third BREEF Sea Camp, Governor’s Harbour, August 2014
Dr. Owen O’Shea, Associate Researcher with the Shark Research and Conservation Program at The Cape Eleuthera Institute, recently visited the Haynes Library in Governor’s Harbour to deliver a talk on…
CEI hands out free lionfish at Deep Creek’s Conch Fest
This year, CEI had a booth at Deep Creek’s Homecoming, called Conch Fest, that was geared towards promoting sustainable fisheries. The team was frying up lionfish samples, so local community…
CEI participates in local Earth Day event
To celebrate Earth Day and coastal awareness month, One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF) held an environmentally-themed festival. “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle- Respect Mother Earth” was the theme for this day of celebration.…
CEI Researcher Dr. Jocelyn Curtis-Quick presents at Tedx Nassau
On Saturday, May 3rd, the first TEDx event in The Bahamas, TEDx Nassau 2014, took place. The event aimed to facilitate nationwide conversations about pressing issues in The Bahamas today,…
CEI Researcher Zach Zuckerman discusses mangrove conservation in Abaco!
Flats Research Manager Zach Zuckerman was invited to perform an ecological assessment of Sand Banks Creek near Treasure Cay, Abaco. Together with Olivia Patterson of Friends of the Environment, representatives…
Lionfish invade Rock Sound Homecoming!
CEI Lionfish team visited Rock Sound’s homecoming celebration. Amid stands selling fritters, grouper, and curry chicken the crew erected a booth dishing out free samples of lionfish ceviche, passing out…
You Slay, We Pay!
The ‘You Slay, We Pay’ campaign is underway. Lionfish are invasive and devastating reefs; fortunately for us, they are delicious! However, these fish are still an untapped sustainable marine resource.…
Exploring the Depths with DCMS & CEI Shark Team
The importance of scientific outreach is empirical to the goals and objectives of the Cape Eleuthera Foundation, aiming to educate and inspire the next generation of young scientists. Friday 14th…
A Look at Animals and Habitats with Tarpum Bay Primary
Fourteen students from Ms. Carey’s first grade class came to CEI to study animals & their different habitats. During their field trip they explored the farm and investigated some of…
Cape Eleuthera Institute Welcomes Eleuthera Principals
In December 2013, the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) and Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) launched The Local Schools Program which has several education programs that reach young Bahamians. Our Local…
CEI Researchers present at the 2nd Bahamas National Natural History Conference in Nassau
CEI researchers were busy in Nassau over the past week. On March 4th, Aaron Shultz and Kate Kincaid attended an IUCN Red List Workshop, held at The Bahamas National Trust.…
First Earthwatch team assists in Sea turtle research at CEI
The first of 8 teams for 2014 were at CEI last week assisting with sea turtle research. 9 volunteers, from across America and Canada, spent 9 days collecting data from…
CEI Participates in Deep Creek Middle School’s “School Without Walls”
CEI Researchers Annabelle Brooks and Meagan Gary took a class of Grade 7 students from Deep Creek Middle School to get hands-on learning experience, capturing and tagging sea turtles in…
RSMAS help with the lionfish invasion
This week, the RSMAS group had a class on invasive species. As part of the class, team RSMAS got to go out with the lionfish researchers and help with spearing,…
Plastics outreach with Preston H Albury school
This past fall, CEI’s resident plastic researcher, Kristal Ambrose teamed up with local high school teacher Joanna Parker’s geography class to conduct two consecutive beach plastic surveys for their BGCSE course work,…
CEI attends Abaco Science Alliance Conference 2014
FRIENDS of the Environment hosted the 6th Biennial Abaco Science Alliance Conference (ASAC). The conference goals were to provide a forum for networking and information sharing for Abaco and Bahamas-based…
Outreach in Spanish Wells
In November, Kristal Ambrose, working for the Center for Sustainable Development, and CEI’s outdoor educator Tiffany Gray, made the trip down island to visit Ms. Thompson’s grade 12 geography class at…
CEI’s Kristal Ambrose teaches the kids at the Early Learning Center about plastic pollution
Last month,CEI Research Associate Kristal Ambrose had the opportunity to work with the “mini scientists” at the Early Learning Center (ELC) on campus, giving a presentation on plastic pollution. Kristal…
Wemyss Bight Primary visits CEI again
Recently, twelve smiling faces from Mrs. Sweeting’s 6th grade class at Wemyss Bight Primary came to visit Cape Eleuthera Institute to supplement their pollution unit. The afternoon started off with…
Wrapping up a successful bonefish tagging trip in Andros South
Interns from the Flats Ecology and Conservation Program and Shark Research and Education Program at the Cape Eleuthera Institute (Stacey Dorman and Carl Treyz) and Zack Jud from the Bonefish and…
Check out our Fall 2013 eNews!
See what CEI researchers and environmental educators have been up to this fall! Follow the link to read our Fall eNews:http://www.ceibahamas.org/ENews/CEI/2013_Fall2/2013_FALL2_CEI.html
Beach Plastic Christmas Ornament Workshop in Tarpum Bay
Two weeks ago, several CEI team members went up to the Eleuthera Arts and Cultural Center in Tarpum Bay to participate in a beach plastic Christmas ornament workshop, hosted by artist Barbra…
Call for abstracts- Bahamas National Natural History Conference 2014
Call for Abstracts for the Bahamas Natural History Conference 2014 also known as BNHC is NOW OPEN.All abstracts are to be submitted electronically via our website http://www.bnt.bs/_m1866/BNH-Conference. Follow this link for more information: BNHC…
Intern Bio: Kylie Bloodsworth
Kylie grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She received in a Bachelor’s of Arts in French Language Studies and a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from the University of St. Thomas…
Outreach at local Wemyss Bight Primary School
Tiffany Gray, the Lead Outdoor Educator at CEI and Franchesca Bethell, a lionfish intern at CEI and a former BESS Island School alumni, recently had the opportunity to teach the…
CEI Research Team conducts beach plastic surveys
With every researcher at CEI always on the go, managing their own research projects, they hardly have time to get a feel for other projects going on at the institute.…
CEI Outreach at schools in North Eleuthera
Miss Kristal Ambrose, CEI’s Marine Plastic Pollution Specialist, and Tiffany Gray, CEI’s Lead Outdoor Educator, made a visit to 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students at North Eleuthera Primary to talk…
CEI Flats Ecology team collaborates with DCMS to learn about mangroves
On Friday, September 27, students from Deep Creek Middle School (DCMS) met with staff from the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) at Paige Creek to discuss mangrove ecosystems. Tiffany Gray, lead…
CEI’s Sea Turtle Researchers visit Fishbone Tours in Savannah Sound, Eleuthera
Annabelle Brooks and Meagan Gary, researchers with the CEI Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Program, recently spent a day in Savannah Sound, Central Eleuthera, with Fishbone Tours (http://www.fishbonetours.com/). Established by…
Rapid Ecological Assessment in Abaco, aided by CEI staff
Last weekend, Bahamas National Trust (BNT) made headway in their Rapid Ecological Assessment of Cross Harbour, Abaco. This REA will gather important ecological data to help establish a baseline for long-term…
Abaco Flats Program – a joint effort between CEI and Friends of the Environment
Last week Justin Lewis, from Grand Bahama, Zack Jud, from Florida International University and Tiffany Gray, from Cape Eleuthera Institute, worked with Cassandra Abraham at Friends of the Environment in…
Second Deep Creek Camp of the summer at CEI
CEI just completed the second Eleuthera Explorer’s Camp this summer! Camp culminated with presentations for parents at Island School. This gave campers a chance to share what experiences got them…
Space 2 Explore Camp teaches Eleutheran youth about marine conservation
Space 2 Create, a non profit summer day camp for the youth of Harbour Island, Eleuthera, joined forces with The Cape Eleuthera Institute to initiate Space 2 Explore, a program…
Seatrek Fathoms sail into CEI for a 10 day trip
This week we said ‘bon voyage’ to an amazing group of students, staff and crew from Seatrek Fathoms. They graced us with their presence for 10 days of science, fun,…
South Eleuthera Explorers Camp at CEI
Last week the Cape Eleuthera Institute and the Island School welcomed 18 South Eleutheran children to campus for a sleep away camp focusing on the world we live in and…
BREEF Seacamp at CEI
After leading the Deep Creek Natural History Camp, two of our Educational Programs staff helped out with the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) week-long SeaCamp. They met up with…
Deep Creek Kids Discover the Life in the Creeks
Last week our Educational team led a three day natural history camp for nine kids from Deep Creek and the surrounding settlements. In addition to camp songs, rounds of the…
Eleutheran Explorers have adventures at CEI
The Eleutheran Explorers Camp is quickly approaching day 4. It’s true what they say about how time flies when you’re having fun! The last few days have been filled with…
Wemyss Bight Primary School Meets live animals at The Island School and CEI May 28, 2013 & June 6, 2013
The Grade twos and threes from Wemyss Bight Primary School have each come to visit The Island School campus and learn all about how animals get their food, water and…
Conch Fest 2013
This past weekend, CEI participated in Conch Fest, the Homecoming celebration for the settlement of Deep Creek, where several CEI staff call home. The focus of this year’s booth was…
More beach plastic surveys around Cape Eleuthera
The plastic pioneers of CEI have struck again! Recently the Cape Eleuthera Institute embarked on a historical project studying macro and micro plastic pollution on beaches in South Eleuthera. This…
Conchservation Launch at Saturday’s Earth Day Event
This past Saturday was the launch of the national Conchservation campaign, as part of One Eleuthera’s Earth Day event at the Rock Sound Ocean Hole. CEI had researchers and staff…
Tourism and Coastal Development Symposium on CEI campus
This past Thursday, April 18, the Island School and CEI hosted a Tourism and Coastal Development Symposium. This event was organized by CEI, One Eleuthera, the Kinship Conservation Fellows, and…
Emma Cooper Primary School visits the CEI campus
Emma E. Cooper Primary school joined us last week for an afternoon tour. However, this was no typical tour of campus! The entire primary school came with Kindergarten through grade…
CEI has an outreach booth at the Rock Sound Homecoming!
CEI attended the 2013 Rock Sound Homecoming as part of their community outreach, and engaged the local community members in a conversation about marine conservation. The CEI booth was packed…
CEI/Island School Bridge to Shark Research in South Africa
On the Maxey’s recent trip to South Africa, Chris Maxey had the opportunity to visit the Save our Seas Shark Research Centre and met with Michael C. Scholl, CEO of Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF). Michael is interested…
Earthwatch visits CEI
For ten days, seven volunteers representing four countries came to CEI to assist with data collection for a long term research project led by Dr Alastair Harborne from the Marine…
Wemyss Bight Primary School visits CEI!
On Tuesday morning, CEI had an exciting visit from a local South Eleuthera primary school, Wemyss Bight Primary. Mrs. Paul’s grade 4 class came for a morning field trip as…
CEI partners with One Eleuthera and Out Island Eco Company to provide alternative disposable products to styrofoam on Eleuthera
The Island School and CEI’s journey to becoming a zero-waste campus while extending theconcepts of this model to our neighbors on the island of Eleuthera has taken patience, but we…
CEI researcher Dr. Jocelyn Curtis-Quick gives presentation for the World Wildlife Fund
Over the holiday break, CEI Lionfish Research and Education Program Manager Dr. Jocelyn Curtis-Quick took a trip to the states to promote CEI lionfish research. She traveled to the World…
Aquaponics lettuce harvest
The Aquaponics team has been busy harvesting lettuce throughout the holiday season. Before Christmas, Kristal Ambrose, Aquaponics technician, along with interns and other staff, harvested a total of 45 lbs.…
28th Research Symposium recently held at the Cape Eleuthera Island School
This past Saturday, December 1st, marked CEI’s 28th Research Symposium. During the Symposium, Island School students got the chance to showcase the culmination of a semester’s worth of research to…
CEI researchers and affiliates meet with members of the Bahamian government to discuss marine conservation
CEI researcher Aaron Shultz along with Fisheries Conservation Foundation chair Dave Philipp, Illinois Natural History Survey Fisheries Biologist Julie Claussen, and a young member of the CEI boathouse staff Mally…