Bahamas Out Island Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:
Danielle Dunfee
(954)654-9161
ddunfee@biminibayresort.com

Lucy Lopez
(305) 318-8536
llopez@capogroup.com

Initiative debuts Earth Day and targets island’s youth as earth’s environmental stewards.

April 21, 2010 – BIMINI – A new educational initiative, designed to teach children the importance of protecting their environment, launches on Bimini, Thursday, April 22. Spearheaded by Danielle Dunfee and Lucy Lopez, both Bimini Bay Resort employees, the two are working in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Health Services and Bimini’s Council Commissioner to enlist the island’s three primary schools in the Bimini Eco-Movement. The initiative jump-starts on Earth Day with a pep rally for students, combining environmental awareness games and the crowning of the “Green Homecoming King and Queen.”

The concept was spawned by Dunfee and Lopez after witnessing repeated island clean-up programs, which yielded short-term results. Understanding children learn from doing, the duo decided a successful environmental program would need to involve Bimini’s youth. Bimini is a small island—only 7 miles long and less an half a mile wide—but by island-terms has a large population of over 1500 people. “There isn’t a large acreage to keep clean, but we do have a large amount of people to educate, which is why we want to start with the children, the future of Bimini,” Dunfee states.

Straying from the typical road or beach clean-up, Dunfee and Lopez brainstormed strategies and tactics to educate the children, with hopes the youth in return would educate their families, friends and neighbors on the importance of the environment. Strategies include the development of after-school programs and summer camps to motivate children to set pledges for the island’s environment. Pledges are GREEN projects to maintain, clean or develop an eco-movement on the island. Children will receive PASS or FAIL grades for their projects. Grades will be supported by: originality, research, follow-through and success of the project.

“We’re fortunate to have the support of key Bimini stakeholders on this GREEN initiative,” added Lopez. “The children are our future and they hold Bimini’s in their hands.” The first EARTH DAY was held in 1970 in order to promote awareness of environmental issues. Today EARTH DAY is observed by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries

About the Island of Bimini -- Proud Island of the Bahamas: The island of Bimini is located 48 miles east of South Florida, where the Gulf Stream meets the Great Bahama Bank. Bimini is heralded for its infamous flats fishing, offshore fishing and diving. Discovered in the 1500’s by Ponce de Leon in his quest for the Fountain of Youth, this colorful island’s abundance of unspoiled island views and emerald waters continues to attract yachting and water-sport enthusiasts searching for a relaxing haven that offers something for the entire family.