By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

The ‘Conch in the Classroom’ curriculum has returned for the Fall Term at five primary schools in Grand Bahama and has been introduced in Abaco as part of an after-school programme.

The project provides hands-on, interactive learning sessions about the queen conch, an important native marine species in The Bahamas.

Participating schools this term include McLeans Town Primary, Lewis Yard Primary, Bartlett Hill Primary, Hugh Campbell Primary, and Walter Parker Primary.

This brings the total number of participating schools on Grand Bahama to ten. Earlier this year, the programme was implemented at West End Primary, Holmes Rock Primary, Martin Town Primary, Freeport Primary, and Maurice Moore Primary.

The initiative, created by Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Queen Conch Lab team, installs aquariums in classrooms, allowing students from grades three to six to observe and care for live juvenile conch while learning about their biology and the importance of conservation.

The first lesson focuses on the conch shell, where students learn to use calipers to measure live conch in their classroom aquariums. The second lesson explores the life cycle of the queen conch — from egg to adult. It ends with a fun activity called “BING,” a bingo-style game featuring images of the conch’s various life stages, with small prizes for winners. The final lesson examines the conch fishery, giving students an opportunity to learn directly from a conch fisher and shell artist who demonstrates how to create items of value from the shell.

The ‘Conch in the Classroom’ curriculum was developed by Dr Megan Davis, principal investigator at Florida Atlantic University, along with Becky Holt, Amanda Matthews, and EARTHCARE founder Gail Woon. Each participating school receives its own copy of the curriculum.

Teachers have reported that their students enjoy taking care of the conch in their tanks. At Hugh Campbell Primary, Sharanda Missick, a Grade Five teacher, said her students have been diligently recording daily observations, including temperature readings.

At Lewis Yard Primary, Grade Six teacher Christopher Adderley said their conch are doing well, while Bartlett Hill Primary’s Grade Four teacher Wilkeisha Bevans said her students are doing a wonderful job caring for the conch and have brought their parents and friends to see the marine species.

Ms Woon said the programme plays a vital role in teaching young people about sustainable fishing practices.

 “The curriculum is crucial because it teaches students when conch should be harvested to prevent overfishing,” she said. “The Bahamas is the last stand for queen conch, and it’s important that young people understand how to protect it.”

Ms Woon said the project is supported by a grant from the McPike-Zima Foundation to FAU and EARTHCARE. It has since expanded to include the Blue Action Lab (BAL), whose Grand Bahama representatives — Tony Johns, Ann-Marie Carroll and Alejandro Moss — have provided critical assistance.

In September, Dr Davis and Ms Woon introduced the project to Abaco through Friends of the Environment, which is now running the programme as part of its after-school activities.