What We Do
Restoration
For our mangrove restoration initiatives to thrive, The Bahamas Mangrove Alliance emphasizes the critical need to invest in two key objectives: fostering community ownership and restoring ecosystems on the largest possible spatial scales. Engaging local communities ensures that restoration efforts are sustainable and deeply rooted in local stewardship.
Our restoration strategy encompasses two complementary methodologies:
1. Planting Mangrove Seedlings: Through our network of dedicated nurseries, we cultivate and plant mangrove seedlings, ensuring that young mangroves are given the best start in life. This hands-on approach allows us to carefully select and nurture robust seedlings, optimizing their chances of survival and growth in their new environments.
2. Mass-Assisted Distribution of Mangrove Propagules: In parallel, we employ a large- scale distribution of mangrove propagules. This method leverages natural processes, enabling the dispersal of mangrove seeds across vast areas, thereby accelerating the spread and establishment of new mangrove forests.
The Bahamas Mangrove Alliance recognizes and embraces the importance of both methodologies. Integrating these approaches maximises our restoration impact, creating resilient mangrove ecosystems that support biodiversity, protect coastlines, and benefit local communities. Through our commitment to these dual goals, we aim to achieve a balanced and effective restoration process that ensures the long-term health and sustainability of mangrove habitats across The Bahamas.
Capacity Building
The BMA is dedicated to empowering local communities and stakeholders through robust capacity-building initiatives. We aim to ensure that communities have the knowledge, skills, and resources to participate in and sustain mangrove conservation and restoration efforts effectively.
Training and Education: BMA conducts workshops and training sessions for community members, local leaders, and partner organizations. These sessions cover various topics, including mangrove ecology, restoration techniques, monitoring and evaluation methods, and sustainable management practices. We aim to inspire and equip individuals to take proactive roles in conservation efforts by fostering a deeper understanding of mangroves’ importance.
Technical Support: BMA provides ongoing technical support to local conservation projects. This includes offering expertise in site selection, planting techniques, and monitoring and data collection technology. Our team of experts works closely with community groups to troubleshoot challenges and optimize restoration outcomes.
Resource Development: We develop and disseminate educational materials, manuals, and toolkits that are tailored to the needs of our partners and communities. These resources are designed to be user-friendly and accessible, ensuring vital information is available to all stakeholders.
Community Engagement: BMA emphasizes the importance of community involvement in all aspects of our work. We facilitate community meetings, focus groups, and public awareness campaigns to ensure local voices are heard and incorporated into our initiatives. This participatory approach helps to build a sense of ownership and commitment to mangrove conservation among community members.
BMA Coordinator: To streamline our capacity-building efforts, BMA has appointed a dedicated Coordinator. The coordinator is responsible for overseeing all capacity- building activities, liaising with partners, and ensuring that our training programs and resources effectively meet the needs of our stakeholders. The Coordinator also plays a crucial role in facilitating communication and collaboration among various project teams, ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are shared across the alliance.
Through these comprehensive capacity-building efforts, BMA is committed to fostering a sustainable and resilient approach to mangrove conservation and restoration in The Bahamas. By empowering local communities and stakeholders, we aim to create a lasting impact that benefits both people and the environment.
Blue Carbon Assessments
Our Carbon Accounting and Science Plan outlines the comprehensive procedures for collecting data from areas that need restoration and those already restored. The primary goal is to quantify the climate mitigation benefits of mangrove restoration. This plan encompasses detailed methods for measuring and accounting for all relevant carbon pools and includes a robust monitoring strategy to track carbon accumulation throughout the restoration process. Additionally, this plan is designed to integrate seamlessly with the overarching master mangrove restoration and monitoring plan.
