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The Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) and Rolex are celebrating their partnership for a better future with a short film about our beautiful blue Bahamas. The film highlights BREEF and Eco-Schools Bahamas students and the actions they are taking within their schools and communities to combat climate change and to sustain our way of life. Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative celebrates partnerships like this that encourage and inspire the next generation of underwater explorers and conservationists.  

“We are thrilled to share the wonders of the underwater world with children who live in our archipelago. Through our Eco-Schools programme we are able to reach young people in The Bahamas and around the world and inspire local and global action. We are working on the ground to protect and restore our coral reefs and the tremendous biodiversity they contain. This short film is an inspiration and a reminder to us all of our responsibility to protect the marine environment especially in the face of a changing world. ” stated Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, BREEF Executive Director.

The pandemic has left people around the world searching to find a new normal. Amid digital meetings, lockdowns, and curfews it is important to remain connected to the environment. Whether it’s growing a garden, watching a nature film, or teaching children about the ocean, people are finding ways to bring the outside in. And meanwhile, there is a growing understanding of the importance of protecting the world around us for our long-term sustainability. Global challenges such as climate change are still crucial issues to address as countries rebuild in ways that provide social, economic and environmental resilience. 

Rolex – the vision and values of Hans Wilsdorf still guide the company today. From exploration for pure discovery to exploration as a means to preserve the natural world, Rolex continues the legacy of its founder. For nearly a century, Rolex has supported pioneering explorers, pushing back the boundaries of human endeavour. With the Perpetual Planet campaign, launched in 2019, Rolex is committed for the long term to support the explorers in their quest to protect the environment. To start with, this commitment focuses on the Rolex Awards for Enterprise and partnerships with the National Geographic Society and Sylvia Earle’s Mission Blue initiative. But this is just the beginning. 

Carleah Culmer, age 13, Eco-School student at Deep Creek Middle School, Eleuthera, is motivated to protect nature and here is her explanation- “I am a young teenager who will be inheriting this earth and if we do not make more sustainable choices in our everyday life the next generation will suffer. I believe that my generation can change the direction we are headed for the better.’’

The film was created before the COVID-19 pandemic and includes students from Deep Creek Middle School, Eva Hilton Primary School, Harbour Island Green School, and C. I. Gibson Senior High School. It will debut on May 19th, 2020. It will be released on the BREEF website www.breef.org and BREEF’s social media platforms, Instagram, and Facebook. 

BREEF is an important part of the conservation and education community in The Bahamas and the world. From providing on-the-ground instruction for Bahamians to be stewards of the environment and advocating for strong policies, to actively restoring reef habitat, BREEF has a successful multi-pronged approach to protecting the waters around us. 

BREEF also is the Bahamas National Operator for the international Eco-Schools programme that operates in 68 countries around the world and reaches 19.5 million children.  Our Bahamian Eco-Schools network currently consists of 34 public and private schools on Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand Bahama, Long Island, and New Providence. 

Schools interested in learning more about or joining the Eco-Schools Programme can contact BREEF at 817-0772 or email:  breef@breef.org or ecoschoolsbahamas@breef.org