BNT Congratulates Past President Pericles Maillis on Receiving Order of Merit

Then-BNT President Pericles Maillis with then-Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham at the signing of the Abaco National Park lease in 1994

The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) congratulates past President Pericles A. Maillis, who was recognized this past National Heroes Day with an order of merit for his knowledge and outstanding service to The Bahamas. The order of merit is given to persons who have particularly distinguished themselves in science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture.

Lawyer, fisherman and conservationist, Mr. Maillis is known and acknowledged to be one of The Bahamas’ most knowledgeable naturalists. He has traveled to numerous scientific conferences across the globe and accompanied scientific experts and archaeological groups throughout The Bahamas. Mr. Maillis is also a farmer agriculturist with vast experience and knowledge and a major mango producer renowned for his knowledge of raising trees and plants for public purposes.

Mr. Maillis has been active in The Bahamas National Trust since 1973, serving on many committees and as President from 1991 – 1994. During his time at the BNT, he has contributed to hunter education, historic preservation, sustainable fisheries initiatives, and championed invasive species action and youth development. He continues to support Bahamian conservation at the community level.

Some of his outstanding contributions in the area of conservation and the environment include: having conceived and chaired the 1999-2000 Adelaide Creek Wetland Restoration, which is recognized regionally as an outstanding Grassroots Conservation Project; discovering and leading the development of the Primeval Forest National Park, a 7.5 acre park on New Providence featuring old growth coppice and unique karst geology; serving as a delegate to the first Small Island Development Conference in Barbados in 1994 and Second Biodiversity Convention Conference hosted by The Bahamas in 1995; assisting in the production of the National Eco-Tourism strategy and other tools and programs for National Development while serving as BNT President; serving pro bono as National Legal Counsel for the Access and Benefits Sharing Project under the Nagoya Protocol (Biodiversity Convention) Project; and providing support for the initial drafting of the now enacted Biological Resources and Traditional Knowledge Act, 2021.

Mr. Maillis is a recipient of the 1998 Bahamas Silver Jubilee Awards for the Environment, and the Ministry of Tourism Cacique Award for Eco-Tourism Development. He is also a Trustee Emeritus of the Bahamas GGYA Programme, which he actively supports. He currently serves a second term on the Board of the Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Scientist Institute (BAMSI).

Once again, the BNT proudly congratulates Mr. Maillis for this latest achievement and for his lifelong work in conservation and the environment.

To learn more about the role the BNT plays to manage terrestrial and marine national parks, protect species that inhabit them, and inform environmental policy, please visit its website: www.bnt.bs and follow/subscribe to various social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

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Media Contact: Leah Carr | lcarr@bnt.bs | (242) 429-7902

About the BNT:

The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) was created by an Act of Parliament in 1959 to build and manage the national park system of The Bahamas. Possibly the only non-governmental organization in the world charged with such a responsibility, the BNT works daily to conserve and protect the natural resources of The Bahamas through stewardship and education for present and future generations. There are currently 32 National Parks managed by the BNT with more than 2 million acres of marine and terrestrial areas protected.

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