feature
LEON LEVY NATIVE PLANT PRESERVE Outreach and Education The Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve (LLNPP) in its eighth year at the heart of Eleuthera, in Governor’s Harbour, continues to expand its reach and grow its impact as Eleuthera’s first National Park, which preserves much of the natural flora and fauna history of the Bahamas. Neatly tucked along the Banks Road it is a ‘must explore’ for all residents and visitors looking to take in the natural treasures on Eleuthera. The site offers miles of intimate trails, displaying the island’s coppice forest ecosystems, mangroves, traditional bush medicine plant varieties, a beautiful freshwater wetland feature showcasing native freshwater plants and freshwater turtles, as well as a lath house used for the propagation of native plant species and an edible history section, showcasing the story of the Bahamas through what people ate, and how those edible plant foods came to be here. Outreach to and education of the Eleuthera public is a primary aim of the Preserve, and Heidi Johnson, the Preserve Manager since 2017, is eager to continue the vibrant relationship the nature sanctuary has with schools on the island, and to grow their relationship with the Eleuthera public, making more residents and visitors aware of how they can benefit from what the Preserve has to offer. “We want every Bahamian to think of this as theirs. “This is a gift to the island of Eleuthera and the Bahamas. “Any way we can work to partner, consult and advise, we are here. “Anyone can come and make inquiries and feel that this is theirs. “Every chance that you can get to
76 | The Eleutheran Magazine
come and interact with nature, you will always be the better for it. “We are the beneficiaries of our environment, and as many people we can reach and teach about protecting it - makes the Bahamas, and Eleuthera environments a little safer and more protected,” shared Heidi.
Preserving the knowledge“BUSH MEDICINE” “Many Bahamians connect with our plant life through the stories of bush medicine, if they were lucky enough to have grandparents and seniors to impart that knowledge to them. Much of that is being lost now, with a dying out of certain oral traditions. So, we help to continue that discussion here, especially with the children who come to do field trip tours, interacting with our staff. We aim for them to take in the information on more than just a surface level, and to be able to remember it and ideally be able to identify these plants when they come across them in the wild. They have sustained generations of Bahamians, and for those types of traditions to be lost would be doing ourselves a disservice.”
Shift in Focus ‘SPACE TO LEARN’ During the next year, the Preserve plans a shift of focus to being even more of a resource for teachers that encourages the use of spaces at the Preserve for lessons outside of the classroom, enhancing students’ experiences with nature, using a multidisciplinary approach. “We know it’s going to be a delicate process, as we are aware that teachers usually have a very busy calendar year, however,
Mangrove wetland water feature at the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve located along the Banks Road in Governor’s Harbour, Central Eleuthera Ph: 332-3831.
