ABSTRACT an INTERNSHIP with the NATURE CONSERVANCY's NORTHERN CARIBBEAN PROGRAM by Sharrah Moss in Fulfillment of the Master
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ABSTRACT AN INTERNSHIP WITH THE NATURE CONSERVANCY’S NORTHERN CARIBBEAN PROGRAM by Sharrah Moss In fulfillment of the Master of Environmental Science (M. En.) at Miami University, Ohio, I completed a twelve month internship with the Northern Caribbean Program of The Nature Conservancy, based on New Providence Island in The Bahamas, from January to December 2009. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is an environmental non-profit organization with offices in all fifty states and in thirty-three countries. The focus of the internship with the Northern Caribbean Program was to provide Geographic Information Systems (GIS) support, field research assistance and institutional support. Responsibilities included compiling, reviewing, analyzing GIS data and creating GIS maps for TNC and its partners, providing field research assistance, community outreach and fundraising support. This report summarizes the projects and activities undertaken during the internship and the value of the educational experience provided by the Institute of Environmental Sciences at Miami University which led to the successful pursuit of a permanent position at TNC. AN INTERNSHIP IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE WITH THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, NORTHERN CARIBBEAN PROGRAM, THE BAHAMAS An Internship Report Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Environmental Sciences Institute of Environmental Sciences by Sharrah Moss Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2012 Major Advisor________________________ Dr. Mark Boardman Advisor________________________ Dr. Sandra Woy-Hazleton Advisor________________________ Suzanne Zazycki TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1 INTERNSHIP ..................................................................................................................................... 1 THE NATURE CONSERVANCY .............................................................................................................. 1 THE NORTHERN CARIBBEAN PROGRAM ................................................................................................ 1 CONSERVATION IN THE BAHAMAS ....................................................................................................... 5 INTERNSHIP ACTIVITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ..................................................................... 9 SCOPE OF THE INTERNSHIP ................................................................................................................. 9 ORGANIZATIONAL TRAINING AND ORIENTATION ................................................................................... 11 NETWORKING, PARTNERSHIPS AND TRAINING ...................................................................................... 12 GIS AND FIELD SUPPORT ................................................................................................................. 23 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................... 27 INTERNSHIP REFLECTION .................................................................................................................. 27 THE IMPACT OF THE IES .................................................................................................................. 29 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................ 31 APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................ 33 APPENDIX A: NCP PARTNERS IN THE BAHAMAS ................................................................................ 34 APPENDIX B: LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL NGOS .................................................................................... 35 APPENDIX C: PROTECTED AREAS ........................................................................................................ 36 APPENDIX D: BNT GOVERNING COUNCIL ........................................................................................... 42 APPENDIX E: MARINE AREAS SELECTED BY THE DMR ........................................................................ 43 APPENDIX F: CONSERVATION PLANNER JOB DESCRIPTION ............................................................... 50 APPENDIX G: DRAFT MELALEUCA CONTROL PLAN FOR THE BAHAMAS ............................................ 53 APPENDIX H: MELALEUCA CONTROL PLAN STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP ........................................... 63 APPENDIX I: PROPOSED FORESTRY RESERVES (2009) ........................................................................ 66 APPENDIX J: DRAFT FORESTRY RESERVATION MAPS ......................................................................... 69 APPENDIX K: TNC DATA SHARING AGREEMENT ................................................................................ 77 ii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. List of Commonly Divided Regions in The Bahamas ......................................................... 6 Table 2. Summary of Internship Responsibilities ......................................................................... 10 Table 3. Summary of current vs. desired future conditions in Bahamian pinelands ................... 14 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Map of TNC Caribbean Programs .................................................................................... 2 Figure 2. NCP 2009 Organizational Chart ....................................................................................... 4 Figure 3. Map of The Bahamas and surrounding countries (Source: ESRI) .................................... 5 Figure 4. Map of Protected Areas in The Bahamas ........................................................................ 7 Figure 5. Map of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park ..................................................................... 8 Figure 6. Map of the FLCFILN participating regions. ..................................................................... 12 Figure 7. S. Moss and participants on a field trip during FLCFILN workshop in Miami, Florida ... 13 Figure 8. Participants view the suite of equipment used in managing wildfires ......................... 15 Figure 9. Melaleuca leaves, flowers and bark (Scoles 2006) ........................................................ 16 Figure 10. The resulting thicket produced by saplings from a single tree (Scoles 2006) ............. 16 Figure 11. Fire in a stand of Melaleuca trees (Scoles 2006) ......................................................... 17 Figure 12. Map of Invasive Species Populations in the Northern Bahamas ................................. 18 Figure 13. BNT warden applying herbicide to exposed Melaleuca stump ................................... 19 Figure 14. S. Moss with FLCFILN participants in Puerto Rico ....................................................... 20 Figure 15. S. Moss holding a lionfish collected during a training dive ......................................... 22 Figure 16. Participant holding the otolith after removal .............................................................. 22 Figure 17. Map of the Blue Hole National Park on Andros Island ................................................ 24 Figure 18. Scanned map of Grand Bahama showing hand drawn forestry areas ........................ 25 Figure 19. Draft Forestry Map of Grand Bahama created in GIS .................................................. 25 Figure 20. Shedd Aquarium Research Vessel, R/V Coral Reef II ................................................... 26 Figure 21. S. Moss holding juvenile rock iguana as herpetologist collects blood sample ............ 27 iv LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS BEST Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology Commission BNPAS Bahamas National Protected Area System BNT Bahamas National Trust BPAF Bahamas Protected Areas Fund BREEF Bahamas Reef Environment Education Foundation CaMPAM Caribbean Marine Protected Area Management Network and Forum Caribbean OU Caribbean Operating Unit CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CBF Caribbean Biodiversity Fund DMR Department of Marine Resources ECLSP Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park FLCFILN Florida & Caribbean Fire & Invasives Learning Network GEF Global Environment Facility GIS Geographic Information Systems IES Institute of Environmental Sciences IWCAM Integrating Watersheds and Coastal Areas Management MPA Marine Protected Area NCC National Coordinating Committee NCP Northern Caribbean Program NISP National Implementation Strategy Partnership NISS National Invasive Species Strategy NPC National Project Coordinator PSP Public Service Project TNC The Nature Conservancy v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people I am grateful to for their assistance and support during my time at Miami University, the Institute of Environmental Sciences (IES) and during my internship with The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Special thanks to Aaron Bixler, Director of International Graduate Admissions for Miami University, for his assistance and professionalism during my admission process. Thank you to the faculty and staff of the Institute of Environmental Sciences for their support during my time at IES. I especially would like to acknowledge my committee members Dr. Mark Boardman, Dr. Sandra Woy-Hazelton and Suzanne Zazycki. And many thanks to Betty Haven and Chris Ingham for their assistance and support during my two years in the IES program. I am also very grateful to