Marine Life Education Program 2004

Scrub Island    Dog Island    Shoal Bay    2003 Program

The week of July 12, 2004 was a very exciting one in Anguilla for James Fleming, Jr. and his Marine Life Education Program.  With over 50 students participating a number of activities were planned centering around the wildlife of Anguilla.

Day 1 involved classroom activities at East End School.  Designed as an organizational day, the students were broken up into groups.  Each Student was provided 2 t-shirts with their group name and a bag to carry throughout the week.  Both Teachers and parents monitored groups and participated in the program.

	The Pelicans
The Geckos
	The Turtles
The Yellowtails
	The Stingrays

Activities for the day included group photos and painting each canvas bag with a depiction of the marine life of the student's group.

	A serious Pelican hard at work
The Turtles make it a group project
	Stingrays try tracing

	Junior outlines the plans for day 2 and the journal
Teacher Lester addresses his group and the goals for day 2
	Teacher Michelle gets her group organized

Students were challenged with questions about Anguilla and its Marine Life.  Many prizes were awarded.

At the end of the day the winners of the best bag design competition were announced.

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DAY 2 Scrub Island

Located off the eastern tip of Anguilla Scrub and Little Scrub are uninhabited islands that provide a variety of things to see.  Signs of a ruined hotel and a damaged airplane are all that is left.  However, its many ponds and horticultural scrub trees are a highlight for the marine education program.

Assisted by 2 of Island Harbour's fishing boats Ace and Sea Breeze, adults and students were transported from Island Harbour peer to the beach.  Parents and teachers brought food and the first thing that was cooked were home made Johnnie Cakes.  Sustenance to carry everyone through a 2+ mile hike to the other side of the island.

	Path to other side of the island
Salt pond on northern side of the island inhabits gulls and other bird life
	Remnants of an old well or animal feeding hole
Native plant life including a sisal in bloom
	Low scrub bushes are the home of reptiles
Salt pond with brackish water home to more of Anguilla's birds
	Finally at the end of the walk students relax
And pose for a photo... Rodney looks tired
	A cooling swim in the gentle waters
And on the return walk we see mangrove

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Day 4 Dog Island

With Wednesday as a class day viewing marine life videos and working on activities, students were ready to go to sea on a new adventure.  Dog Island is located west and north of Anguilla and was rumored to be the home of many wild dogs and goats in the past.  It is also home to a number of Anguilla's marine bird life.  An uninhabited island, Dog provides one of the nesting grounds for the Magnificent Frigatebird and the Brown Boobie.

Our fleet of boats was enhanced by Terry Brady's new aluminum boat and Mathew Billington with the Shoal Bay Scuba Dive boat.

	Anchored at Scrub with a catamaran passing by.
Brown Pelicans also thrive in this rough environment and greeted us along the way
	We were greeted at the harbor by a nesting group of Brown Booby's
As the group begins to set up, a group of Frigatebirds soars above

	Junior organizes the crowd back into groups
	While the tent is raised, teachers organize students into a beach game

	The Magnificent Frigatebird can range in size from 37 to 41 inches.  They soar on the shore breezes and hover over the crowd
The highlight of the trip was a hike to the other side of the island where the group encountered more ponds.
	And the rough seas
	A rocky coastline with shore birds hovering above provided the path to the other side where literally hundreds of birds filled the sky.
Pope cactus plants fill the shoreline
	A lone Brown Boobie sails above us among the Frigatebirds.  Slightly smaller at 28 to 31 inches, the Booby is also a year round resident of Anguilla
This Black Neck Stilt is a year round resident that finds much to eat in the salt ponds of Dog Island.
	While on the shore a Laughing Gull waits to pick up scraps from the campers.  These gulls breed in Anguilla but are not resident all year.

Day 5 Shoal Bay Beach

Friday concluded the week long program with fun and games on Shoal Bay and of course a ride on Junior's Glass Bottom Boat to see the treasures beneath the sea.

It was a wonderful week for everyone involved.  The students that participated had wonderful fun and learned more about the precious resources that make up their home.

Campers on last day! (Photo J. Ruan)

James Fleming, Jr. extends his sincere appreciation to all those who helped with this year's camp including:

Jackie Ruan – Ripples Restaurant, Anguilla

Terry Brady – Sea Rocks, Anguilla

E’s Oven – South Hill, Anguilla

Teachers – Primary Schools, Anguilla

Jim & Robin - Sea Rocks, Anguilla

Dave and Margaret Thomas - Sea Rocks, Anguilla

Maria Hawkins – Arawak Resort, Anguilla

Boat Captains – Island Harbour , Anguilla

Volunteers – Anguilla

Education Department – The Valley, Anguilla

Larry & Gina – California , U.S.A.

Cliff Burger – Greenwich , Connecticut

Scott Arnel – Oyster Bay Cove, New York

Mark Fisher – Woodmere , New York

Jonathan Fleisia – Broadway, New York

Michael Grant – West Port , Connecticut

Carla Rotering – Phoenix , Arizona

Martha and Allan Slone – Lexington , Massachusetts

Jeffrey Wolfson – New York , New York

Kim Smith - Canada  

Wayne John – Island Harbour , Anguilla

Oven Webster – Island Harbour , Anguilla

Patrick Webster – Island Harbour , Anguilla

Matthew Billington – Sea Rocks, Anguilla

Lester Fleming, Island Harbour Primary School , Anguilla

Michelle Herbert – Island Harbour Primary  School , Anguilla

Kaysha Fleming – Stoney Ground Primary School , Anguilla

Shauna – Morris Vanterpool Primary School , Anguilla

Marcia Gumbs – Road Primary School , Anguilla

Janice - Road Primary School , Anguilla

Joanne Davies – Sea Feathers, Anguilla

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       Created:     September 6, 1999                                    Email:   cestero@anguillanet.com

        Updated:    September 07, 2004 15:08