June, July and August 2014

Andros Conservancy and Trust ANCAT newsletter

Wind energy is definitely not a new concept, as early as 3,000 BC peo-ple captured the energy in wind to pull a boat across the water and in windmills used to grind grain. Wind is free, so once the initial instal-lation has been paid for electricity costs will be reduced. In some areas feed in tariffs are in operation as excess electricity generated is fed into the grid and the supplier receives credit for this. Wind energy is green, renewable energy and doesn’t release any harmful carbon dioxide or other pollutants. As the world’s supply of gas, oil and coal are being depleted, wind turbines and modern technology are making it possible for people to generate their own power and continue to live comfortably without polluting the environment.

The skyline in Andros Town has been altered with the erecting of the Autec wind turbine, now seen towering above the tree line, the sight of the modern tower is becoming a familiar landmark. The wind turbine has two blades and a rotating hub, it stands 196 feet (60m) in the air. The Autec tower is capable of producing 1MW of power, significantly reducing the facility's dependence on burning fossil fuel and cutting air pollution

on the island. The turbines are manufactured by Vergnet, a French company and are robust, designed to resist hurricanes (in two hours the blades can be lowered and the turbine parked close to the ground), and easy to assemble on site with self erecting components (no tall crane is required) from factory-made kits. With over 900 wind turbines installed world-wide, Vergnet sees the potential and the benefits of wind energy in countries and communities first hand and believe they have a vital role to play in reducing the dependence on fossil fuels by 2050. It is believed that well located wind power turbines can truly compete with fossil fuels. Andros has a great potential for the installation of wind turbines to re-place our gas guzzling, pollution spewing, noisy machines. The Global wind report expects installations of wind generators worldwide to increase by 34% in 2014, plus the investment in clean energy worldwide has risen by 14% in the first quarter of 2014.

In May 2014 the latest

Intergovernmental Panel

on Climate Change

(IPCC) report on climate

mitigation was published.

The report produced by

hundreds of experts and

backed by approximately

200 governments world-

wide, stated that clean

energy will have to

increase by 300% and

dominate world energy

supplies by 2050 to avoid

catastrophic climate

change.

Inside this issue:

Summer HEAT 2

Swimming lessons 2

Discovery Channel 3

Rainbow Blue Hole Trail

3

Bromeliads 3

Freedom of Information Act

4

Andros News 4

Alternative energy: WIND POWER

Presently in The Bahamas the majority of the electricity we use comes from burning fossil fuels, but these fuels are predicted to run out within the next century and it’s well established that carbon dioxide from power plants and vehicles are the biggest drivers of climate change which is causing super storms to form and melting the polar ice caps. The latest news of severe glacial melting in the Antarctic is another red flag reminder that we need to slash our carbon pollution. Sea level rise is predicted and The Bahamas is considered to be one of the most vulnerable countries in the world, in fact a 3 foot rise in sea level would affect 11 per cent of our land area. Therefore it is in our best interests to invest in alternative energy. Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, using wind turbines to make electricity. Wind power is plentiful, renewable, and clean. The simplest wind energy turbine consists of three crucial parts: 1 . Rotor blades—Wind turbine blades are designed to capture the kinetic energy in the wind, when the wind forces the blades to move it has trans-ferred some of its energy to the rotor. 2. Shaft—The wind turbine shaft is connected to the center of the rotor. When the rotor spins, the shaft spins as well, in this way the rotor transfers its mechanical, rotational energy to the shaft, which enters an electrical genera-tor 3. Generator- consists of magnets and a conduc-tor (typically coiled wires). When the rotor spins the shaft, the shaft spins the assembly of magnets gener-ating voltage in the coil of wire. This voltage drives electrical current through power lines for distribution.

AUTEC WIND GENERATOR

To truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change we need to ultimately make clean

renewable energy the profitable kind of energy.

Barack Obama

Page 2 Andros Conservancy and Trust ANCAT newsletter

It’s that time of year again…. Summer, with hot

days and nights. Your body functions best with-

in a certain temperature range and when your

body gets too hot, it needs to cool off. First of

all our blood vessels dilate to increase blood

flow to the skin (allowing excess heat to radiate

away from our bodies) and we start to sweat

with this evaporation cooling the skin. However,

excessive sweating can lead to dehydration.

Drinking water helps to replenish fluids lost by

sweating but if you don’t get enough water you

may become dehydrated and the combination

of hot temperatures and dehydration can lead

to SERIOUS heat related illness, such as back

pains, headaches, thirst, weakness, dizziness,

fatigue and kidney failure.

Symptoms of dehydration

When you are dehydrated you’ll

feel thirsty, your mouth becomes

dry or sticky, you may become

lethargic, also you will suffer from a

reduction in urine output and have

sunken eyes.

There are plenty of good reasons to learn to

swim: it is a low impact exercise, its kind to

joints, it can be continued for a lifetime as

there is no age when swimming becomes a

bad exercise and it burns calories. It builds

cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle mass

and is great alternative when injured or you

need to rebuild your strength, its COOL in the

water, its fun, a super

family activity and you will

feel so much better after a

dip in the sea.

Ever fancied just jumping into the waters of Andros and cooling down, but could not take that step because you can’t swim? Well this summer you could learn.

Ancat is teaming up with Forfar Field station in August, September and October to offer swimming classes to all WOMEN in the area, call Ancat at 3682 882 or speak to Gabrielle Douglas to put your name on the list . The classes will be arranged to suit your schedule and your teachers will be expert swimmers, it’s a chance in a lifetime.

There is a local water company to

buy your fresh drinking water::

Andros Ultra Pure Water, Fresh Creek, Andros

Telephone 3682178. Purchase your first 5 gallon

bottle of water and then reuse the bottle with a fill

up costing $4, and delivered right to your door.

It’s true… delicious fresh water available right

from the heart of Andros.

Mothers and Fathers PLEASE remember your

children and babies need to drink water too.

Always make sure that your family has a good

supply of drinking water to ensure their bodies

are strong and healthy.

Stay hydrated this summer:-

Drink 9-13 cups of water per day

Make drinking water a mindless habit

Eat water based food like watermelon,

tomatoes, oranges and cucumber.

Enjoy the miracle of coconut water (it

hydrates and has the exact proportion

of electrolytes as human cells and

contains many vitamins and minerals).

DO NOT substitute soda for water !!

Drinking water is

like washing out

your insides. The

water will cleanse

the system, fill you

up, decrease your

caloric load and

improve the

function of all your

tissues.

Kevin R. Stone

SUMMER HEAT COMING TO A BODY NEAR YOU !!!

SURVIVAL TIPS :

Opportunity to learn to swim: calling all non swimmers: SIGN UP Andros is blessed with large

aquifers holding natural fresh

water, this is something

which we should not take for

granted, pollution and wast-

age are the enemies of fresh

water. Please make sure to fix

any dripping taps, dispose of

harmful chemicals and gar-

bage sensibly, also check your

septic tank to make sure it is

sealed as human waste is

harmful to our health and the

environment.

Take a COLD shower at bed time to cool off

Page 3

Bromeliads grow wild on Andros and can be

easily identified along the Rainbow Blue

Hole Trail. Bromeliads can be terrestrial,

(growing on the ground), saxicolous

(growing on rocks) or epiphytic (growing on

other plants and trees). Epiphytic bromeliads

have the ability to absorb nutrients and mois-

ture from the atmosphere, they may be called

‘air plants’. Hundreds of these plants can

grow on branches of tropical trees, some-

times causing the branches to break under

their weight. Many bromeliads have stiff

The trail leading to the Rainbow Blue

Hole is about a third of a mile long and

leads through the coastal pine forest

and coppice. You’ll see geologic

formations showing the Andros fault

line which runs along the east coast of

the island and learn about the plants

that grow all along the trail, some of

which are endemic to Andros and

others which have traditional medicinal

uses. You’ll see at least five varieties

of natural orchids and bromeliads. The

set for the Discovery Channel show is

available to be explored and you can

lie in the cave where the survivors

spent their nights. At the end of the

trail is the wonderful Rainbow Blue

Hole which invitingly inspires all to take

Rainbow Blue Hole Trail

A fresh water swim before heading

back along the jungle trail to the

main road.

This ecotourism trail is being

promoted by the Andros Ministry of

Tourism and guides are available to

lead your group through the Andros

jungle trail, call Ancat at 3682 882 to

make a reservation. Remember if

you are heading out alone to wear

sensible shoes, carry some drinking

water and keep a good watch out for

the dangerous bush

called poisonwood

which can leave you

with a nasty skin rash

if you brush up against

it.

The International

Ecotourism Society

defines Ecotourism as:

"responsible travel to

natural areas that

conserves the

environment and

improves the welfare of

local people".

In February 2014 a Discovery Chan-

nel film crew spent a month in Central

Andros filming one of their top ranking

shows ‘Naked and Afraid ‘. This show

takes "survival of the fittest" to the

next level. Each week, a new pair of

complete and total strangers - one

man and one woman - will find them-

selves stranded in and, quite literally,

exposed to some of the world's most

extreme weather environments. Our

duo were left high and dry with no

food, no water...and no clothes.

They survived on their own for a

full 21 days, with nothing but one

personal item each and the

knowledge that the only prize is

their pride and sense of accom-

plishment.

In Naked and Afraid, these

brazen and bold couples get

acquainted with each other and

their new surroundings very

quickly, forcing them to question

and test everything they may

think they know about their ac-

quired survival skills and instincts.

Watch the Andros episode

this summer on the Discovery Channel

as the couple battles the elements,

each other, and their own inner weak-

nesses to see who will triumph over

the terrain or fail under the force of

nature.

The Andros episode was filmed in two

locations: the couple met and spent

one week at the Love Hill Rainbow

Blue Hole and the second part of the

show saw our intrepid duo trek though

the forbidding Andros terrain to the

beach. You can follow this couple of

daring adventurers as they live in the

Andros bush for 21 days when the

show is aired this summer.

Top Discovery channel show filmed in Andros

Andros bromeliads leaves which hold rainfall like buckets.

Leaves and debris fall into these reser-

voirs and help algae and other single

celled organisms to grow, which in turn

feed mosquitoes, insect larvae and other

organisms. The bromeliad is like a small

ecosystem in itself—animals such as tree

frogs, snails , flatworms, tiny crabs and

salamanders might spend their entire lives

inside them. Bromeliads grow almost exclu-

sively in the tropics and subtropics where

growing conditions are ideal. The most

famous bromeliad is the pineapple, which

Columbus took back to

Spain in the 1400’s. The

foliage of the bromeliad is

eye catching in bright

colours, such as red, purple.

pink and orange.

Fresh Creek Post Office

PO Box 23338

Andros, Bahamas

Phone: 1 242 3682 882

Fax: 1 242 3682 285

E-mail: ancatoffice@gmail.com

Freedom of Information Act: NEEDED NOW in The Bahamas

The Andros Conservancy and Trust supports the passage of a Freedom of Information (FOI) Act for The Bahamas. This Act would be a guarantee to the Bahamian people of protection against secretive or closed door decision making in government. In the Bahamas the right to correct factual information affects us all. We need to know how much taxes are collected, what the government is spending our money on, and which licenses or permits are being issued or denied and on what basis. Public information is NOT something which should be given by way of privilege or ministerial discretion. Over 90 countries have already enforced FOI legislation. Where information is not freely accessi-ble, corruption can thrive, environmental damage occurs and basic human rights might not be realized. Politicians and senior government officials can hide corrupt acts behind a veil of secrecy. When corruption is rife, resources are wasted, the corrupt in society benefit at the expense of others and society suffers. The environmental movement sees the urgent need for a FOI Act in the work of protecting the marine and terrestrial environment. It is important that people have prior knowledge of developments that could adversely affect the environment and the livelihoods of Bahamians there could be an effort to protect the sites and educate the parties involved as to the delicacy of the environment. Right now an agreement is made behind a closed door and before we the people, know it a precious wetland or reef has been destroyed or a public beach has disappeared and irreparable damage has occurred. A Freedom of Information Act would safeguard our environment against reckless mistakes caused by misguided developers and short sighted politicians.

Andros Conservancy and Trust

W E ’RE ON THE WEB

W WW . ANCAT . NET

Reports have been coming in about sightings of manatees in Androsian waters. Pictured above, this mana-tee was seen in spring at Morgan’s Bluff, Andros. This manatee appar-ently appears every Thursday, the day the MV Lady Roslyn arrives. Manatees are also known as ‘sea cows’ because they are big and fat, a fully grown manatee may weigh up to 400 pounds. They have a divided lip much like that on the elephant’s trunk and this divided lip uproots sea grass. The mother manatee, nurses its young until it is 2 years old and they drink fresh water. In May another manatee was seen in Fresh Creek, it was during a rainfall and the animal was reported to be drinking the fresh water as it poured into the sea off the land.

Manatees in Andros

Treat those crabs with care!

The Andros land crabs are making their annual

move to the ocean to wash their eggs and while

they make their dash we, their human neighbours

are free to catch them but when we have them it is

important not to waste their lives with rough

handling. So follow these simple rules to have a

healthy crab pen.

Do not overfill the sack

Do not leave the crabs in the hot sun

Always give them

food and water

Remove dead crabs

Keep the pen clean

Do not overfill the pen

Protect your crabs from pesticides and

poisonous sprays

Ancat’s mission is to protect, preserve,

enhance and restore the natural

resources of Andros Island and its

marine environment, through

education, conservation and

management for future generations.

THANKS ECO ED FOUNDATION It was touch and go this Spring whether our Andros Conservancy and Trust office would be open to produce and distribute this newsletter, our coffers were empty and with no help in sight we were making plans to downsize the organization by the end of May. The Kurth Family and Eco Ed Foundation once again saved Ancat from

this fate, providing a grant to cover operating costs and continue the work on Andros. So it is with heartfelt thanks that our grati-tude is sent out to the Board at the Foundation for once again having faith in our mission. If you would like to help Ancat in any way, especially through donations, please contact the office, we

are working to save this wonderful island for future generations.

Remember to save your soda cans and drop

them by the Ancat office, we are shipping them

to Nassau for recycling and to raise much

needed funds for the local schools.

Don’t be a litter bug

Find a bin to put trash in

June, July, August 2014

Andros Sustainable Development Ancat’s Executive Director, Mr Peter Douglas spoke on the Sustainable Development of Andros at the Third Annual Business outlook seminar held at Love At First Sight in Stafford Creek in May 2014. The conference was opened by the Prime Minister and attended by many national and local leaders.

Caribsave Coming this summer further workshops will be hosted by Caribsave, Climate Change, Resilience and Adaptation team. The goal is to develop adaptation plans for the community as a whole, also for the 50 enterprises participating in the pro-ject. Some of these businesses will receive funding and targeted training to put their adaptation strategies into commercial practice.