Gap Year Expeditions, Global Volunteering & Conservation Projects – Greenforce

Highlights

• Work with the Bahamas National Trust collecting data to help create Managed Marine Parks around your new home - Andros Island
• Become a PADI qualified Diver - Open Water, advanced and Emergency First Response
• Learn from, and work alongside qualified Marine Scientists
• Perfect dive surveying techniques such as line points, quadrats & transects
• Learn to identify some of the most amazing tropical marine life.
• Swim with turtles and dolphins and witness other amazing marine

           life.

• Enjoy the amazing beaches Andros Island has to offer while you sunbathe and snorkel and dive to your hearts content
• Participate in culture exchange with the local community and teach marine conservation at the local primary school once a week to help young Bahamians understand the importance of the marine environment.
• Live in the volunteer house right in the beach - what a location

What will I achieve?

Learn about the marine environment - underwater marine surveys identifying fish and marine movements, monitoring invasive species and locating where the breeding and feeding grounds are. You’ll learn about fish and coral identification as well as underwater survey techniques necessary for data collection. With a complete understanding of this underwater world, we can then work with the Bahamas National Trust to create an effective management plan.

Learn to dive/improve your skills - Initially, you will complete your dive training, working towards the Advanced Open Water qualification as well as gaining your Emergency First Response qualification. Once happy in the water, you will start your in-water fish identification and survey diving, having learnt the basics in land-based classes. Enjoy diving on a pristine barrier with your newly learnt skills in crystal clear blue waters.

Help out at the local school - Once a week, you will volunteer and help

teach the young children about marine life and marine conservation.

Have fun - Saturday evening there is usually a social event such as a party or special meal. There is also plenty of time to relax, swim and sunbathe.

Where will I live?

You’ll stay in a two storey beachside house with remarkable views of the Atlantic Ocean every single morning! The bedrooms are dorm style with bunk beds and a shared bathroom.

Food and drink

The diet is basic but nutritious and based on local produce. The food is mainly high in carbohydrates, which is essential for diving. Protein requirements are met by having fish, meat, and eggs when available. Vegetarian and vegans are easily catered for.

We provide the ingredients and you provide the cooking, so bring your recipes!

Essentials

Electricity is available on camp so volunteers are able to recharge electronic equipment such as iPods and cameras. However, as the voltage can fluctuate, it is always best to use a voltage stabiliser on sensitive electronic equipment such as a laptop. There is Internet access on camp for emergency use only.

The telephone is generally for Greenforce staff only but permission to use it is granted in urgent cases. Your mobile may work, depending on

your network – please check with your provider.

Eligibility

The trip is open to all nationalities. However, please check with your nearest Bahamas embassy to verify if you need to obtain a VISA before arrival. UK passport holders will obtain a tourist visa on arrival.

Minimum Age
The minimum age for this trip is 17; there is no maximum. Expedition groups consist of individuals from adiverse range of ages, backgrounds, and experiences. Everyone is welcome!

Traineeships
To develop talent in marine conservation, we run a traineeship scheme that allows one volunteer to stay for free at the Bahamas camp for a second phase (10 weeks). The traineeship gives enthusiastic and hard working volunteers the opportunity to learn more about marine science, diving and leadership on camp, and gain experience working on a conservation

project as a staff member.

*Recently, Greenforce had a Masters student who received distinction for

his thesis that he based on his marine conservation experience with us.

Money
The currency is the Bahamian dollar. However, American dollars are accepted everywhere. The best way to carry your money is to split it between separate payment methods, e.g. cash, card and traveller’s cheques. Never carry a lot of cash as you can always get more out at cash point.

Country facts
• Archipelago nation of approximately 700 islands, of which 40 are populated. The islands cover an area of about 100,000 square miles.

• The Commonwealth of The Bahamas became an independent nation state on July 10,1973.

• English is the official language with Creole used among Haitian immigrants.

Did you know?
From 1939 to 1942, there was an underseas post office in the Bahamas.

What's included?

• A Meet Your Team briefing day and BBQ in central London.
• Being met at the airport by a Greenforce staff member then dropped off.
• Welcome and Safety briefing.
• All meals and accommodation during the 10 weeks.
• The bulky and expensive parts of your dive kit (provided on arrival). Please supply the following: a wet suit (£90/$120), mask (£20/$35) fins (£20/$35). Also a dive knife, weight belt (not weights!) and basic waterproof watch (Total around £40-$70). Prices are indication only.

Itinerary

Below is a basic outline of our Bahamas marine conservation project.

General Information:

-We aim for at least 2 dives a day!

-Fun dives take place on a Saturday.

-Sunday is relaxation day, where you have no obligations whatsoever. It is also travel day, in which you are free to explore the diverse island.

-Most people can survey by week 5, and then by week 6-7 all volunteers can usually survey.

-Dive training and surveys are weather depending therefore they can take longer sometimes.

-In addition to reef surveys are mangrove, creek and lionfish studies that are scheduled once a month.

- Teaching in the primary school takes place every week. In the 10 weeks, you should be able to get to know many of the wonderful schoolchildren.

- All volunteers undertake a rota system for cooking, cleaning, jobs etc. Show off your cooking skills to earn props from the other volunteers; surely the quickest way to make a favourable impression!

Dive Summary:

Week 1: Airport pickup. Our camp is located on Andros' east coast. Dive Training for PADI Open Water and Advanced begins as you settle into this tranquil and serene setting and soak in the beach side atmosphere.

Week 2: Continue dive training – learn invaluable conservation diver skills. Mix this in with school teaching at a local primary school and the beginning of science classes...which often take place on the beach, with waves lapping gently on the shoreline.

Week 3: Provisional dive training if weather has held diving back. Science

classes continue, fish identification, fish ID dives, fish ID testing, more

school teaching, PADI EFR course.

Week 4: Fish ID testing continues, some people ready to pass if they have worked hard and studied.  How to survey for fish, dive training continues if needed. By now, most volunteers are very familiar with the dive equipment and the dive essentials.

Week 5: This is when we hope everyone will be able to survey for fish, identification classes for invertebrates and coral begins, school teaching,

survey dives.

Week 6: More survey dives allow you to see many of the wonderful

species in the amazingly blue, clear waters of the Bahamas. Coral and

invertebrate testing both in the classroom and in water, Reef Check survey training.

Week 7: Survey dives, reef check survey training, reef check surveys begin, school teaching, rescue courses begin.

Weeks 8-9: All survey diving, school teaching, rescue course. By now, diving is second nature and many volunteers are as comfortable under the water as out of it. Enthusiastic divers begin to see baths and showers as mirages of the pristine reefs that they have frequented on such a regular basis.

Week 10: Surveys come to an end, last week of finishing off what is needed, last few days involve fun diving and of course a celebration/graduation of the completion of the project; a few sombre moments as volunteers realise it's time to leave and embark on travels elsewhere.

Maps

Click through the following link to see our latest volunteers in action.

Gallery: Bahamas Photos

Watch Video's from the Bahamas project here!!

Feedback

The Latest...

Here is the latest report from the Bahamas Phase 16, 2009 - 1st Quarter.

It has some great pictures and provides an overview of the marine survey

work undertaken.

1st quarter report 2009 Bahamas

See what they thought....read past volunteer's testimonials here!

                                                                        Fundraising Ideas...

Why not hold a fundraising event to help raise some money to fund your project. Sam and Nicole made earrings and hairbands out of recycled beer caps and crisp packets and sold them along with homemade cakes at their uni fete...for more ideas download your fundraising pack here.

Achievements So Far...

Greenforce volunteers have created a new marine "No Take Zone" gazetted by the Bahamas Government. Greenforce Volunteers have also run regular structured Marine Awareness training with the local secondary schools. Teaching the new generation how to protect their environment. Greenforce volunteers undertake regular distribution of updates of their work and run community meetings. Greenforce has run a number of Beach Clean Up days to involve the whole community in the protection of their reef.