Hello All,
I’m Lakeshia Anderson-Rolle, your Executive Director of The Bahamas National Trust.
As I take on this new role at the BNT, I am honoured to build upon the legacy of this esteemed organisation. I am eager to grow and enhance our National Park System and to lead a community of conservation warriors, working for a better Bahamas.
In my previous role as BNT’s Director of Parks for the past six years, I’ve seen first-hand the wonder of national parks and the role they play in our everyday lives; the health, social, environmental, and economic benefits they provide to people across The Bahamas and the opportunities that exist to provide direct benefit to nearby communities and business owners.
In reflecting on the past year and all of the things we did together, I am thankful for your support and hopeful for the future. I am mostly looking forward to building on what we accomplished in 2022, including:
- Working with the government to enact legislation to bring a new level of protection to national parks;
- Reigniting outreach and education programs that bring our youth into their parks to experience the outdoors;
- Revamping programmes to control invasive species in an effort to preserve native biodiversity; and
- Strengthening partnerships, membership, and support to secure a sustainable future for our parks.
Now more than ever, we have to come together to build a future that protects our natural assets and improves human well-being. As we face the daunting effects of climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss, we have a monumental task ahead of us. A task we can only overcome through strong and collective action!
When nature is protected, it thrives. When nature thrives, we thrive. National parks exist to ensure this. As a nation that is dependent on a healthy environment, we must prioritize conserving our natural treasures and safeguarding our national parks.
When we work together we accomplish phenomenal things for our environment and humanity. I cannot express how grateful I am that you continue to choose to defend nature and support Bahamian national parks.
I know that with your dedicated support, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish for our parks in 2023, especially as The BNT celebrates 64 years of conservation. Together, we can succeed in advancing habitat protection, restoring nature, and creating opportunities for communities to benefit from their national parks.
I am honoured to lead the charge to accomplish our mission of managing national parks and preserving our future. I am delighted to have you alongside me for the journey.
Yours truly,
Lakeshia Anderson-Rolle
Executive Director