In celebration of Earth Day 2023, Endeavour has partnered with JP Rouja, Founder of Nonsuch Expeditions and Jeremy Madeiros, Chief Terrestrial Officer for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for an experience of a lifetime for students and teachers from The Berkeley Institute and Dellwood Middle School, as part of the BF&M No Limits Sailing Programme which engages students on the autism spectrum in hands-on STEAM activities and sailing as recreational therapy.
As part of this experience, five students and five teachers joined Endeavour team members to take part in a marine debris beach clean up at Nonsuch Island, on Friday, April 21st as part of the Nonsuch Expeditions Message in a Bottle Ocean Plastics Project. Jeremy Madeiros also provided a special educational experience for the students to learn about and interact with Bermuda's national bird the Cahow, a pelagic seabird which means it spends most of its life out on the open ocean, which the group were given the special opportunity to name and chose “Captain”.
Nonsuch island is a 14-acre world renowned wildlife sanctuary, and access to the public is strictly limited. The restoration or “re-wilding” of the once barren island into a 'Living Museum of pre-colonial Bermuda' is the lifetime work of now retired Bermudian ornithologist and conservationist David B. Wingate and now his predecessor Chief Terrestrial Conservation Officer Jeremy Madeiros, and part of their efforts is to bring back from near-extinction the once plentiful, endemic nocturnal seabird, and national emblem of Bermuda, the Cahow.
Ashleigh Lowe, ASD Teacher, The Berkeley Institute said, “The students were thrilled to participate in an excursion on Nonsuch Island. Upon arrival, the students’ faces lit up when they saw the shipwreck with numerous fish swimming at the dock.”
Mr. Madeiros is a passionate storyteller who brought the island’s history to life and highlighted the significance of the island’s ecosystem. The students were highly engaged throughout the walking tour. Watching the students connect STEAM lessons from Endeavour to the activities on Nonsuch Island was incredible. Students could make connections and apply their knowledge in this new environment. Additionally, students were captivated by their rare close encounter with a Cahow chick. They learned about how Mr. Madeiros measures and takes care of their growth.
So many sensory elements from the ecosystem enabled students to become fully immersed in the Nonsuch Island expedition. It is a living classroom that provides high-quality experiential learning opportunities for students on the autism spectrum. It’s a tremendous opportunity for young people to learn about the importance of our ecosystem and how we need to take care of the environment to protect Bermuda’s local species.
Endeavour provides valuable experiential learning opportunities for Berkeley ASD students. The ASD Team at Berkeley is highly grateful for the BF&M No Limits Sailing Programme in partnership with Endeavour and its positive impact on our students.”
JP Rouja, Founder and Team Leader for Nonsuch Expeditions said, “It was a pleasure to host the students, teachers and Endeavour Team for a Nonsuch tour, and we are looking forward to working with them more in the future.”
Jennifer Pitcher, Endeavour’s Executive Director said, “We are grateful to have formed a new partnership with JP Rouja and Nonsuch Expeditions along with Jeremy Medeiros and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. This memorable day enabled our BF&M No Limits sailors and their teachers to have a unique educational experience, while contributing to our efforts to build awareness for autism acceptance and the importance of taking care of our Island’s natural resources.”
Endeavour’ work with Bermuda’s youth would not be possible without the incredible support from valued donors, partners, and supporters enabling us to create a positive impact in diverse young lives across Bermuda. Special thanks to BF&M Limited and Endeavour’s founding lead sponsor, Orbis Investments, for their unwavering commitment and support of our work with Bermuda’s youth.”
Visit www.endeavour.bm to learn more about Endeavour’s experiential learning programs.
