And welcome to the News Navigators.
This is an edition of the Full Point with myself, Jeremy Deacon
and. And me, Jonathan Starling.
And our special guest, Miles Darrell from the Bermuda
National Trust. Miles, welcome and thank you for
coming along and joining us. It's a privilege.
Well, thank you. I love your podcast and.
Yeah. I appreciate being here today.
Flatter us as much as you like, mate.
I'll get you absolutely everywhere.
What do you want? And no, no, we didn't pay him to
say that. I think I always kind of start
these interviews by asking who is who is the person.
So who is Miles Darrell? Tell us a little bit about Miles
Darrell. I'm a I'm a pretty regular guy,
really. I love Bermuda.
Bermuda of the year, you're not a regular guy.
Yeah, it's funny that I never would have put that together
myself, but I'm very thankful. I think a lot of Bermudians like
to get out, contribute to their community, care about their
families and spend a little time at the beach, try to get outside
when they can and work hard and that's what I try to do.
So I think I'm amongst the common here really.
I think you're. Being very modest.
But I do, I, I mean, I'm going to try and be modest.
I think, I think that's important.
And I think that's what helps us to to, to find success really.
And. In good and and a bit of
humility. Yeah, exactly.
But I I'm a person who loves plants, loves the environment,
and loves to spend some time outside if I can.
I'm sure you do a lot of that. I try.
How did you get into the Bermuda National Trust and and tell us
also what you do? There well, I they needed
somebody to do their conservation based work and at
the time I was teaching science at Whitney and really keen to
find something that would get me outside a little bit more.
And the National Trust provided just that, you know, an
opportunity to get more time outside, still spend time with
students, which I really love to do, and really feel like I'm
contributing to the change that most of us want to see.
What? What's your actual like job
title there? So my job title is Head of
Natural Heritage. OK.
And I've gone through some changes over the years.
I've been here for just about 7 years now and I was our
conservation officer to start. And then we've made some pretty
significant changes in the last 3-4 years in the way we're doing
things. And at that time when we started
making changes, we now have a new conservation officer in
Ronald Virtual who's a great guy and and I took on a role that
was created as as Head of Natural Heritage.
Excuse me guys, I'm just going to close the window because the
lawn mowers just started. It's great these things, isn't
it? Yeah, I imagine your day-to-day
job is rather varied, but can you tell us like what, what's
like an average day for for you? It really, it really is varied.
That's the whole thing between after school groups.
You know, we do after school clubs like our Garden Club on
Wednesdays and our eco club on Fridays that has me out with
students. You know, on any given day we
might be with a corporate group out in the field or engaging in
pretty basic maintenance to try and stay on top of of the weeds
and invasive species. But a little more time in the
office, right In conservation management plans, reviewing
plans that are going into the planning department.
So I, I try to review almost every plan that's submitted to
planning department and get an idea of the impact it's going to
have on the environment and sometimes make suggestions or
objections where I feel it's necessary.
I guess I sit on a few boards. So of course I contribute in
those spaces. I know Jonathan sees me at the
ECO, but of course I'm also on the Parks Commission and a few
other a few other boards here in Bermuda with regard to education
and things like that. You mentioned that you're a
science teacher at Whitney, but you've joined the BNT.
Was that was that more of a calling for you without wanting
to put down what you did a Whitney by any means, but it was
that kind of a calling because it was quite a different job.
It is a, it is a different job and I think it aligns with kind
of what I had thought I wanted to do.
So that's that's perfect. I studied conservation and
terrestrial Land Management in New Zealand and finding work
there is quite difficult because there's a lot of very highly
educated people, which is great. And here and there I I could
find a contract or two. But to better my CV and increase
my earning capacity, I went on to do a post grad diploma in
science education. And for a lot of reasons, I came
back to Bermuda. One of the big ones is to, to
get closer to family again, but also to care for my grandmother,
who who'd become a little bit ill and now has passed.
And so in coming back, definitely need to be employed
in Bermuda. And the opportunity that came
about was through the Ministry of Education.
And you know, there's a lot of good stuff going on there.
I love working with young people.
And so it was, it was a good, a good space to start.
But I think you're right, working with the trust is more
of a hauling and it really puts me in a space where I can
activate those conservation and terrestrial Land Management
things that I I really feel can benefit Bermuda now.
New Zealand has got some really excellent programs on ecological
restoration. There's whole islands where
they've eradicated rats and would like to protect the
indigenous bird population. Is that what drove you to go to
New Zealand or you just wanted to go as far away from Bermuda
as you could? Or?
No. So I've been travelling to New
Zealand since the 90s and my now wife of over 24 years is from
New Zealand. So I've been spending a lot of
time there for, for quite some time and, and it's a beautiful
place. And I think like you said, that
the environmental education was quite good.
And I, I took advantage of that opportunity.
It was very hands on. It was.
It was a lot of fun. I think the only more I I
remember is Kiora. Yeah, and I learned Toreo Maori
my my youngest daughter speaks probably much better than I do.
But yeah, it's, it's mandatory to learn in school and both my
kids went to school there and and benefited from that.
And yeah, I think there's a lot for us and the world to learn
from from the relationship, although it's very stretched and
tenuous right now in New Zealand that the Maori and Pacquiao or
or or colonizer have created. I think if I remember my morai
correctly, that just translates as redneck because it got
sunburned. Yes, well, kiora is a greeting
and pakiha is a word for colonizer.
Right. No.
It's a beautiful country. I've never actually been but I
do have family over there so I hope to visit at some.
Oh yeah. Yeah, it's on my bucket list.
There's a it's, it's funny, there's a lot of Bermudians
there. I did not realize that until
going to the University of Waikato.
One of my my peers said, oh, there's a few Bermudians over at
the cafe right now that walked down and of course we all know
each other. And then I got there for the
seagull racing down the Waikato River and ran into lots of other
Bermudians there. It's Bermudians are everywhere.
Yeah, a museum is also home to my favorite bird, which I can
never pronounce the name the it's a big fat parrot that can't
fly. The Kakapu I think it's called.
Kakapo. Yeah, Kakapo, they're fantastic,
super smart, but they will like tear your car apart.
Yes, I've seen that for sure. Coming back to Bermuda now, the
National Trust has a lot of properties, some that have since
become national parks. Like Spildo Pond I think was
originally part of the National Trust properties but then became
a National Park. I might be slightly mistaken,
but I believe that was kind of an the origin.
Well, I mean, I think, I think you're kind of right.
One, it is a National Park and it's Bermuda's largest National
Park and it is still a Co ownership or stewardship between
the Department of Environment, Natural Resources, Bermuda
Government and the Bermuda National Trust.
OK, that was partly right. Yes.
How? But how many nature sites does
the BNT look after? Well, we, so including buyback
Bermuda, it's probably about 17 places, but then you know, we've
got offshore islands as well. We're, we're, we're actively
caring for. We've got an offshore island or
two that we're not actively caring for if it were, but yet
still stewarding. So I think it comes down to
active stewardship versus kind of passive stewardship.
Our ability with such a small team to engage in management
across all of the, the space that the National Trust has is,
is limited. That's why we we really rely on
volunteers in the community. Must be a bit frustrating for
you, isn't it? You have all these properties,
but some you just basically have to leave because you haven't got
the manpower. I think I think that's true.
And to some degree leaving some places unmanaged and, and and
left to nature, even if that's what invasive species is a good
thing. I think the habitat, whether
it's native or invasive species, is absolutely necessary,
especially when we have so little open space.
We certainly do. It's, it's interesting you say
that actually, because I always think open space environment
versus the economy, the open space and the environment tends
to be the ones that miss out if the economy is not doing very
well. How do you balance all that?
Well, I mean, it's really difficult to balance for the
National Trust. We've definitely seen times
change. I think things have been
improving lately and I think I've probably come in at a good
time. So it hasn't been terribly
frustrating for me. I feel very supported here at
the Trust. We've got great corporate
sponsorship, we've got great membership, you know, that
really make this possible. But I definitely see that it's
when the, the financing isn't there and the economy's in a
difficult place, it, it makes, makes it harder to care for the
environment 'cause you got so many other things going on.
But you know, I, I think the thing I strongly believe is
that, you know, caring for the environment and ensuring we have
a sturdy, solid, sustainable environment provides for a
better and more, you know, conducive tourism product.
It also is what draws even the corporate groups that come to
Bermuda here. It is beautiful and we've got to
keep it that way to ensure there isn't any frustration or or
interest in in walking away because there are so many
beautiful places out there and I know that Bermuda is
particularly special. What?
What kind of frustrations do you and and the BNT have?
Well, I mean. Your least I suppose and 50
some. For one thing, their
headquarters is haunted. Oh, I've never heard that.
Yeah. Waterville haunted.
Oh no. Sorry, one other person has
mentioned that I, I'm not worried for that.
I'm I'm not a big believer if it were, but but I understand.
I think frustrations for us are they might seem small, but you
know, it is the little things that I start that start to add
up. For me.
It's litter. I'm just, I'm tired.
I'm tired of picking up litter every day and everywhere I go.
I've, I've already done quite a bit today.
It's just, it's, it's where we're at as a community, but
it's not where we want to be. And so that can be quite
frustrating. It's funny, isn't it?
Because it there's so many, it's almost like a throwaway society.
There seems to be a cultural thing.
You just throw things away. It doesn't matter whether it's a
mattress or a fridge or your. Plastic.
Yeah. I think what's hard for me to
appreciate is, yeah, we're a throwaway society.
Throwing away goods and Bermuda is at no cost.
I mean, you can take it to Times Bay.
The governments made the facility available, I think,
very reasonable hours. The cost is perfect.
Nothing. You can't really do better than
that. And yet we still have a problem
with litter. So that is one of the things
that frustrates the trust it, it, I can say that confidently
it it it, it frustrates me because open spaces have become
the dumping ground for those things that people don't want
who can't be bothered to drive to Tynes Bay or feel like their
horticultural waste will just break down.
So if they leave it there, no one will bother or care.
But actually it's just having such a horrendous outcome and
impact. You know, we are a small team.
If it's just me and Ronald out there in the field and someone's
decided to dump a whole lot of litter in a nature reserve,
that's really taking away from the quality monitoring and work
that we should be doing. Any other frustrations?
I I understand the little one. I've been on many pickups with
KBB and and groups like that and it's what you find in the
undergrowth is quite astonishing.
Yeah. I mean, I think the frustrations
come from the ongoing management of invasive species which are
just rife in Bermuda and make the, you know, our mission, the
preservation and protection of natural and cultural heritage.
It just makes it really difficult and it makes it more.
Costly. Give us an idea of the invasive
species that people might not realize.
Well, I think there's lots that people do realize so that
that's. The Office 1 I guess.
Yeah, I mean, that's that's a really obvious one.
Kiskadee is another one. Lionfish is another one more
recently and and in the paper, but I don't think getting enough
attention is the red imported fire Ant.
And and that could probably have a significantly greater impact
than than many of the invasives we've ever seen.
And of course, on the horizon we've got the lanternfly.
So all of these things can impact our agricultural and
capacity and food security, you know, something like the red
imported fire and just takes away from your ability to be
outside as a whole. It certainly is destructive to a
tourism product. That was in the headlines
recently the the fire. And are we on top of that now?
I don't think so, definitely not.
I think that's what, you know, a pretty major concern.
And I think I think the reality of that is it it highlights some
bigger issues that we really need to to look at as a as a
people, like our bio security is obviously not in a very good
place if all these invasive species are making their way in.
But then further to that, when we identify invasive species,
are we able to even do anything about it because we haven't put
in place things like rapid response funds?
We don't have, We certainly don't have any excess staff in
government departments. In fact, you know, we've seen in
the paper as well in the last year or so how many departments
are understaffed and the impact that that's having and DNR is,
is, is like the many that are understaffed, making it very
difficult to address these very serious issues.
I know one of the invasive species that Maxine Pepper
hated, but they also surname Cherry.
You know, Bermuda cherry. I love the cherry.
They're great on like a roadside hedge, but you go to somewhere
like Blue Hole and like the entire forest is almost cherry
and it doesn't even produce a lot of fruit except at the very
top of the canopy. Exactly.
And I think, you know, that's a perfect example of how many of
our invasive species, well they have, they have a local native
species that is a a very similar counterpart or or relation that
they are taking over the niche. So for that particular species,
Bermuda's white stopper, which is also a Eugenia species,
should be the species that we're seeing there.
And the cherry has completely decimated its ability and the
ability of many other species to flourish in that space.
And. Do these cause?
A problem for the National Trust?
Do these things, Do these things cause a bit of a problem for the
National Trust in the way you're able to manage your properties?
Well, I mean, they do, but we've we've become quite used to it.
And with the amount of invasive species that we have, we're
picking and choosing what we're going to address as a priority.
And I think the big thing is whatever we do, we've got to do
it slow and steady. And it's for the same reason
that I said earlier, we don't have a lot of open space, we
don't have a lot of habitat. We don't want to clear
everything too quickly, especially with the increase in
hurricanes and, and, and the strength of those hurricanes.
We've got to leave a lot of wind break up.
We've got to leave habitats and, and, and intact.
And ultimately it means any restoration or conservation work
is going to take a long time. So did I interrupted you then?
Oh I was just going to mention Guava is also a bit of an
invasive, especially more like wetland areas I believe.
Yes. So Pageant Marsh is a perfect
example of where you see guava as an invasive species and you
also see the Ardysia there. You don't see that proving to be
invasive in other parts of the island.
So yeah, various habitats have differing invasive species.
And funnily enough, you know, Mexican pepper, Brazilian pepper
is, is less a concern than many of the species we're seeing now.
So things are constantly changing and the horizon
suggests that there's going to be a totally different landscape
in the future for Bermuda. That's interesting.
So the native endemic species
get wiped out. Well, I think many of them
already were, if I'm honest. I think Alison Copeland, or if
she may be Doctor Alison Copeland now, her work suggests
that, you know, less than 8% of Bermuda's cover is, I think it's
significantly less than that is native and endemic species.
So we don't have much left. Well, I'm actually for something
else. I'm interviewing A gentleman who
runs a plant nursery specialising in native and
endemic species. I actually can't wait to to go
and see him, see if I can plant in my garden.
Well, I, I can't support that more really.
Robin's a great guy. I think that's who you're
probably talking about. And he does, yes.
And he grows probably 50% of what we plant.
So he he works directly with us, which is great.
Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it actually and take some
money down there and buy some, buy a few, a few plants to put
in, feed the bees in my trees. Can't go wrong.
Don't eat too many wipe stoppers though.
No, indeed, we talked. We talked about frustrations a
minute ago before we came on air.
Jonathan, I always have a bit of a chat to, you know, talk about
what we're going to talk about. One of the things is Southlands.
You must be a little bit frustrated by Southlands.
What can you say on your record? Yeah, I, I can say a lot really.
I mean, I think that cell phones is an important place.
Obviously everyone knows I care a lot about it, and I've been
really excited to see so many people get involved in having
their say. So to me, cell phones is like
this amazing, you know, thing that's pulled the community
together to say, hold on, no, this is important to us and and
let the powers that be see that there are parts of the
environment that they can't just roll over.
They've got to stop, listen, take that community feedback
that that community voice and activate from there.
So I think there's lots of reasons to be encouraged.
We've seen more recently of the removal of some of the planning
applications. So that suggests, you know,
there's some listening going on. And and of course there's really
exciting news with the discovery of Vertigo bermudensis, an
endemic snail at the site. That's phenomenally exciting and
we're really happy to see see that come to light and that the
minister has that insight as well.
And further to that, we're excited that we've been able to,
you know, work with the department to include an
invertebrate management plan in the Southlands management plan.
So there's lots of good stuff going on.
You don't hear about that good stuff though, unfortunately.
I mean you hear about different developments of the old houses
and zip line and and stuff like that.
I mean, if that's all well and good, but if you had a magic
wand, what would you do to Southland and the BNT?
What would you like to see it as well?
I mean, we're speaking for miles here.
I would love, I would love to see the space given to the
Bermuda National Trust because I'd feel more confident that it
would be in a safe space. I don't think that land owned by
the government is as protected as land owned by the Bermuda
National Trust and I feel like that would put it in a safer
space. So there's one little wish list.
I know that will probably never happen, but I'd like to see it
to maintained as a passive park that people can use for their
family enjoyment with limited noise pollution and light
pollution. And really, you know, we need
it. I mean, Bermuda is so short of
open space that any little bit, especially one that's as green
as that on the South Shore is going to be helpful.
And I think further to that, it just gives our tourists another
thing to visit and enjoy. And I think that's a good thing.
But really, I think it's that high density residential one
neighborhood in the Org Rd. area and Warwick that that will
benefit most. Yeah, and it is a phenomenal
place as well. The trails around there, the
trees, the everything is just a fantastic place.
Exactly. Really is What do you think,
Jonathan? I have no comment on Southlands.
No comment on. Southlands, but I other than to
say it is a beautiful sight with some really amazing trails to
explore, a lot of like fantastic allspice and little nooks and
crannies. So beautiful.
Yeah, it really does. And I'd encourage people to go
out there and enjoy, you know, on the weekend, go and choose
any park, whatever's close to you, go to Southlands, go
wherever. Just get out and touch some
grass. You know, it's really nice out
there. Is there anything, any anything
afoot for Southlands Miles? He seems to have got a bit quiet
on that front. Well, yeah, I mean, it's going
to be quiet because it's in the hands of the minister now and
he's got, he's got to make some decisions because of course it
went to the the Development Applications Board, which turned
all of the development down, which they had to because of the
lack of a management plan based on our legislation and a few
other bits and bobs. But now they, the zip line
developer has appealed that that DAB report.
And so it goes directly to the minister and the minister will
make a decision based on his discretion.
You got an input on that? No, I, well, yes, sorry.
After the appeal was made, we made a response to the appeal,
which was, you know, that was quite timely in that that's
similar timing to finding out about the endemic snail, which
we thought was extinct. And so I was able to add a
little more insight about concerns for endemic species
into the into our appeal letter. Interesting.
Well, we're. Pretty cool little snails
though, they look like. A few snails are.
Tiny. They're right.
I love snails. I'm sorry, I almost did a PhD on
snails. Fair enough.
Do you? Like snails to eat or just to
play with. The ones you eat are the
invasive ones here to steer away from those little Vertigo.
Burmudensis is so small you wouldn't get much of a meal
there. No, Miles, I want to say you
spearheaded or at least part of your work involves these kind of
living Christmas trees, the program that you guys do.
Yeah, for sure. So, yeah, that that's been
really successful. And this year was was a really
good go. So we grow Cedars.
In fact, this year because we've been quite busy and we've got a
lot on Robin is growing Cedars for us.
And at Christmas time, around the end of November, we sell
those Cedars to members and of the public and our membership of
course, and some of our corporate groups.
And then we choose a date. This year it was January 17th.
So after Christmas, after one, everyone's had a holiday, we
choose a reserve. We go back there and we plant
all of the trees as we continue to, you know, build and develop
native and endemic forests across Bermuda.
So this year it was at High Point Nature Reserve.
I think we planted about 75 trees that day and we've planted
a few more scents, to be fair. But it was nice to see, you
know, 75 families come together and, and plant their Christmas
trees. And it's just a great, a great
opportunity really, and a lot of fun to do.
We've we've done it a few times and it's really nice to do.
Question How do you grow a cedar tree?
Oh, wow. Yeah, patience is critical.
But but really all of the trees that we grow, and in fact 90%
of, of all the flora we grow are from seed.
So we have a really, I think we have a really good stock of seed
of Bermuda's native and endemic plants.
So we've taken the time. We have a very, you know, all
world style. It's very small, but for Bermuda
it's quite good. So we can share seed here and
there as well. And then, yeah, we have our eco
club on Fridays, which is a great opportunity for young
people to get together between 4:00 and 6:00 at Government
House, the governor has provided this nursery space for us to to
propagate. And so we propagate all our
seeds there. Once you put that seed into some
soil and it sprouts, we will then transfer that into a
slightly larger pot. It'll stay in the nursery, then
we'll we'll transfer it one more time to a slightly larger pot
again. So you're up potting until it
finds its way to a three gallon pot and into our nursery next to
Summersfield at Pond House Lane. And after about two years, we
see those trees find their way into nature reserves.
So literally I can go and pick a few seeds off a cedar tree and
plant them in a pot. Absolutely, absolutely.
Yeah. I mean, we, I know there's a lot
going on in the community around the the genetics of Bermuda
Cedars and stuff. And so people are always asking.
So I'll just cut to the chase there and say we take seed from
very specific trees. So we're taking from Saint James
Church in Somerset and that feeds quite a lot of our spaces.
And then Devonshire Church, Christchurch, Devonshire, which
both are well known for old Cedars.
One thing I've always been amazed by, we were talking about
invasive species earlier, and the Bermuda cedar is actually an
invasive species in Hawaii. All places, yeah.
I mean, it's it's not it's not too bad having spent I I went to
school in Hawaii as well. I spent a lot of time there.
I spent the whole summer there, actually just passed and there's
over they they took 600 trees into a botanical gardens there.
Some of them have escaped, but it's not as bad as, let's say
Saint Helena or the Ascension Islands, where it really is
invasive, like overtaking. It gives a good genetic
diversity stock if we ever needed it.
Yeah. Well, we'll see, because
actually, from what I've seen and heard already, the genetics
in the Ascension Islands and Saint Helena may be compromised.
So they're working on sequencing the genome right now.
There's two groups working on it.
So yeah, we're finding out that see that we already went and
gathered in the ascensions thinking that it could support
these. This genetic study proved to
already be compromised for some reason so.
Something's going on. Well, yeah, those those studies
aren't finished yet, so I'll let those people doing the work at
the Doctor Weldon. I know.
Oh, I want to be careful. Charles Gosling and his team,
there's teams of people working on it and, and I can't wait for
them to start sharing. Oh.
It's going to be interesting. Look forward to seeing that.
Yeah, you mentioned working with with young people.
There's a lot of people out there who will see the BNT
membership as elderly and probably white.
Is that fair? I mean, I think that's a fair
statement. I, I don't want to lie here, but
I think that, yeah, yeah, no, no, it, it, it, it, Well, you
know what, I think it is a reasonable criticism.
That's OK. But it's something that we're
actively working on. And I think that it's just, like
I, I said earlier, you know, stewardship of Bermuda is going
to take everybody really. And if our membership is limited
by age or race, it limits our capacity to meet our goal.
And so that's something we're actively working on all the
time. And I think that I think that
we've been making some good strides in recent times to
really tell a fuller story and, and be more true and also
respond to criticisms and concerns in the community.
So it's it's improving, but it's going to take time.
Yeah, yeah, like everything, it's perceptions, isn't it?
Yeah, and I think, I think we're doing better to get more people
into our spaces, both into our museums and into our nature
reserves and really get clear on why these things are so
important. And as we do, our membership
will grow. And I, I think, you know,
working with young people is a priority for the trust in so
many ways. We have an education coordinator
who does an amazing job here. You know, Doctor Andrews,
working with cultural heritage, is constantly working with
students to try and bring them in and so of course I'm doing
the same. We know that's the future and
we're going to need people who are excited and keen and and
probably smarter than me. I was wondering do you have a
favorite nature reserve like National Trust Nature location?
Wow. I, I do have favorites.
I mean, I want to be careful. So I have a favorite right now
that I think is particularly special, but it's not one that
I'm going to encourage anyone to go to.
So that's why I'm hesitant to mention it.
But Palm and Morgan Island in Ely's harbor are very special
places. And that's why we don't let the
public use those islands because they are being protected and
conserved. And so they're, they're
particularly special. Of course, I thought it might be
special for you because we, we released 14,000 endemic snails
there about, I want to say five years ago.
Yeah. And it was a huge, you know,
we're still struggling with rats.
Of course, it's, it's the other reason you don't want to go
there is it's overwhelmingly populated with Poison Ivy.
So it is a dangerous place. But but for, for the public and
the places that I like to visit, there's definitely some little
gems. And I think, you know, Marjorie
Jackson Nature Reserve, which is tiny on West Side Rd. in
Somerset is a place I'd like to spend a little bit of time.
And it is very small. I'm just being really clear
about that. But it's a great place to sit,
watch long tails, look at the ocean.
You can even get in if you want to.
There's nice benches there and we're getting ready to
commemorate Eugene Bregman there.
Anyone who knows him from Somerset will be commemorating
him, him. And so at the bench, you'll see
bronze plaque. But yeah, that, that's a nice
gem. I think.
Somerset long day, if anyone came to the Palm Sunday walk, it
is again, a really special, a special spot.
So yeah, the trust has has many. The Palm Sunday walk is a
fantastic, I know it's just happened, but it's a fantastic
way of seeing Bermuda and the National Trust land.
It really is. I mean, I think, I think that's
definitely like the quintessential way to see big
parts of Bermuda in one go. I think alternatively joining in
one of our community days, which we do monthly, on one Saturday a
month we go to a different nature reserve and we just get
right in. We know we start with a tour, we
do a little hands on work, it's community based.
A lot of chatting gives us a chance to get a little feedback,
but it also gives people a chance to see what we're doing,
what our intentions are, what we hope to see in the long term.
If they haven't, read our conservation management plans.
What are the upcoming nature reserves for that Community Day?
Well, this Saturday, so that's four days away, we're going to
be at Sherwin Nature Reserve, which is like really dear to me.
And it's one of the, the bigger projects I've been kind of
working on for about four or five years now.
And it has another 25 or or 30 years in it.
But we're going to be there in the Railway Trail just off
Bulkhead Lane. And it's a Bulkhead Dr. Sorry,
it's a, it's a beautiful spot behind Work Pond.
And we've been working on cleaning it up.
We took about 2025 truckloads of bottles and bike parts and
refrigerators and washers and the car or two out of there.
And we've planted a many hundreds, maybe into the
thousands of maid of an endemic as we rebuild that habitat now.
And so that'll be a great opportunity for people to get
out. Last month we were at Scour
Nature Reserve and so So Sorry Somerset and and we try to go to
a different area every month so people can see something
different and ask different questions.
And if people wanted to join you, how how should we direct
them to go to the BNT website or I?
Think so. I mean at the BNT dot BM, it
can't get easier than that. On top of that, it's a chance to
see a little bit about the other opportunities that we have
because, you know, there's so much more than our nature
reserves, our museums, the stories we put our, you know,
various letters of objection. If people want to see the things
we're actually concerned about, articles that we've been writing
for the paper, all that kind of insight we make available, and
it's just a great resource. It's the journalist.
Do me, Miles, apologies for this, but I've got to ask this
question. You said earlier on that you're
on the Parks Commission, that that is the reconstituted Parks
Commission, presumably. Is it, is it working and is it?
Is it because obviously a former minister, Colonel Birch,
abolished it? Yeah.
I mean, I don't to this day fully understand why that
happened. I was on that Commission as
well, and now on the new Commission overseen by, I guess,
Joshea Adams. I think there's good stuff
happening there. I think there's people there
that sincerely care about Bermuda and are, are trying to
put good ideas forward and discourage, you know, bad ideas
because, you know, they come forward at times.
And the one thing I do know is that there's a wealth of
knowledge in that group, you know, from so many different
areas that ultimately I think it's certainly a great place for
the minister to get advice. Now, whether he chooses to take
it or not, I that's on him. But I definitely think he's got
a good resource there and people that sincerely care and have the
capacity to provide the necessary advice.
So that's really. It's working as as it should
work. I think there's room for
improvement. You know, I don't, I don't want
to not say that because there's definitely is, but you know,
it's, it's definitely going to be a work in progress for some
time. Just like I mentioned about DNR,
you know, the Parks Department is significantly understaffed.
And so as a result, their ability to be true to even just
legislative legislation that they're obliged to follow is
sometimes proved difficult. No, it's a shame.
Hopefully, hopefully that will be fixed.
Hopefully. Yeah, maybe.
I think it's going to take time, but I think we got to, as a
community, we've got to tell our, our, our politicians, our,
our, our, I mean, even our, our parish councils, our leadership
that we expect more, that we want more.
And that we want to see these spaces cared for, maintain and
managed, you know, ideally at best practice, but at the very
least at the standard that represents Bermuda in a way
we're all proud of. I think that's a great.
You've got any more questions, Jonathan?
I thought that was a great way to wind up, unless you.
I've got one last question. OK.
OK, so Miles my the nature of my work is desk based.
I'm sitting at a computer all day in an office.
So when I want to unwind, I go to a nature reserve or I go sit
off in the rocks. And.
Watch the sunset now you you work in the field all day is
your way of recreation to sit at the desk.
Not at all now I could never get enough time outside.
If I'm honest with you. I love it.
I mean really just you described it perfectly.
If it wasn't for eco tonight, which I might see you at.
And my daughter is a is a cello player.
So I'm getting her to cello. Usually I drop her to cello
lesson. I head straight over to pontoons
and I'm waiting to see the first swallows come across pontoons
right now. So yeah, I don't know.
Even in my time off, I want to be outside.
That's fantastic. Nice.
Well, thank, thank you very much for for joining us.
I think we shed a light, some light on you and your work and
and hopefully the BNT and just a reminder to people it's couldn't
be easy at BNT dot BM go and see what they've got going and join
in and enjoy, enjoy the countryside.
For sure. Hey, thank you so much for
having me. It's been a pleasure.
Thank you very much and take care.
All right, you too. Bye.