CAMP AQUARIUS
BMT was able to successfully hosted Camp Aquarius. Achievements include:
- Successful training programmes for children and youth in watersports.
- Initiated change in the thinking and actions of participants (especially in relation to the sea and to the environment)
- Instilling values in participants - building confidence and competency, making choices and using discretion.
- Growth and development of participants as some have indicated their wish to pursue formal education in marine environment related studies
- Steady clientele and dedicated team
- Increased publicity

SHORTCOMINGS
Despite its successes, the camp has met one main challenge, which is a lack of resources needed to facilitate the camp properly. Resources include financial, human and technical resources. As it is, the camp should be charging registration fees of near BDS $1,000 per child to cover the expenses of the services and equipment being used. Charging this amount would make it impossible for poorer children and special needs children to attend the camp. Thus, various components (e.g. - equipment, materials, administration) of the camp will experience some degree of shortfall.

LESSONS LEARNT
Regardless of challenges, the camp operated with positive outcomes and the following lessons were learnt:
- Sourcing of Help/Assistance: There is a greater understanding on how and where to source the required help for executing the camp, in terms of getting the right type of persons to act as counsellors and where to successfully secure financial and technical support. Many individuals and groups have aided the camp and have proven to be reliable sources of help.

- Participant Safety: Safety of all campers is a major priority for the camp and as a result, all persons in supervisory roles (counsellors, camp administrators)were trained in first aid and water safety, and have a working knowledge of emergency protocol. This protocol now needs to be documented so that a written guideline is established which can be referred to as necessary.

- Marketing: There is now a better idea of the type of tools necessary to document the camp properly so that such information can be used in marketing and advertising (e.g. ? videos of activities, written and spoken testimonials).

Since its inception in 2005 Camp Aquarius surpass its expectations and the BMT has successfully hosted the camp over the pass 2 summers.

THE CARIBBEAN WiSe ACCREDITATION SCHEME
Seeing the value that such a programme would have to the marine environment and its users here in Barbados, and the Caribbean by extension; the Trust conducted a two-day workshop for 15 dive boat operators as a pilot demonstration for the scheme. The workshop was entitled ?Caring for Our Coast and Our Future?. It was the first step to accrediting those participants who attended, and also getting feedback from them about how the programme could be improved and further tailored to suit the Caribbean?s environment.

ACHIEVEMENTS
- The foundation for the Caribbean WiSe Accreditation Scheme has been laid
- Participants were further informed about
 Coral reefs in Barbados (different species, habitats).
 Coral reef health assessment.
 Local laws related to coral reefs.
 Human impacts on coral reefs.
 Human interactions with reef biota (fish, turtles).
 Developing good dive practices.
 User-friendly reporting procedures.

SHORTCOMINGS
As with the other components, a few difficulties were encountered:

- Due to the varied working hours of participants, more resources would be needed to properly manage future sessions so as to reach as many of the marine operators and user groups as possible at different times throughout the day.

- Also, because many of these operators run small entrepreneurial businesses, many were unwilling to forego two days of business to attend the workshops. These operators depend heavily on their business as their livelihood and therefore it is understood that they may not want to risk losing a few business days for the sake of a workshop. Some form of incentives will probably need to be put in place to make it more worthwhile for these small business owners.

- The jargon used by some of the presenters at the workshop was too technical for the participants. However, because of the close-knit atmosphere created by the workshop between participants and the delivery team, the participants were easily able to voice their concerns and the presenters adjusted to suit.

LESSONS LEARNT
Various lessons were learnt during the workshop from the participants, as well as during the workshop?s implementation
- Lack of Enforcement: One of the greater challenges is the lack of marine law enforcement, and issue which has been linked to a lack of manpower and other resources.

- Monitoring System: A monitoring system needs to be established where WiSe Accredited operators are monitored and evaluated at regular intervals to ensure that WiSe standards are maintained.

- Customising WiSe to the Caribbean Environment: The workshop had already started the process of tailoring WiSe to suit the Caribbean environment (e.g. ? changing the focus on marine species from basking sharks and seals to coral reefs and sea turtles). More work needs to be done in this regard which will take the collaboration of marine vessel operators, members of academia and officials from the relevant government departments (e.g. Coastal Zone Management Unit). These groups need to come together to formulate the content for a document which will serve as the Caribbean WiSe guidelines or regulations.

- Databases: Additionally, databases need to be set up for data on coral reef damage sightings and reports, as well as for members of the Caribbean WiSe network.

The WiSe accreditation scheme is currently in the process of being registered with the Barbados Accreditation Council, and work will start on formulating an official Caribbean WiSe Accreditation Scheme document or code of conduct. The next segment of the Scheme is scheduled to take place in 2008 and it is well on its way to becoming a locally and regionally recognized rating scheme for marine environment users.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION STEWARDSHIP (EES) PROGRAMME
Since the implementation of the project, there have been a number of achievements:
- Established monitoring system: A monitoring system has been created and established to monitor the activities on Carslie Bay, and surveys for the different categories are conducted on a regular basis ? from weekly to monthly, depending on the category ? by the Environmental Education Stewards. Monitoring is conducted both on land and at sea (by boat). Databases have been created and the data collected from the surveys is entered into these databases. This allows for easy access and enables assessments and analyses.

- Established and developed working relationships with related agencies: The work conducted by the Stewards requires various relationships with the stakeholders and government ministries and departments (e.g. Ministry of Health, Drainage Unit ? Ministry of Public Works, Marine Police, other businesses and residences along the Bay). The programme has also seen the growth of relationships between the BMT and non-government organisations which are major sources of financial and technical assistance.

- Production and distribution of regular reports on activities and findings: In effort to increase public awareness of the project?s activities, and the environment in general; the Stewards produce and disseminate monthly reports and environmental education documents to the same groups and institutions mentioned above. These reports and documents usually contain findings from the surveys carried out along the Bay, and general information about marine legislation, environmental best-practices, marine ecosystems, and such like.

- Increasing publicity of project in media: The sub-project has been receiving increasing publicity in print and television media. An article on the sub-project was recently released in the Barbados Advocate, and a small documentary was recorded and aired on the local television station several times by the Government Information Service Department (GIS).

SHORTCOMINGS
- Technical difficulties: Some mechanical difficulties with the boat prevented steady boat patrols in the nearshore area.

- Communication to the general public: Persons on the beach are more interested in relaxing and playing and less willing to entertain discussion on environmental education.

- Steward presence on beach: Initially, it was envisaged that there would be an all-day presence of Stewards at the beach. However, more funding would be required to pay the number of persons needed to do this.

- Enforcement of legislation: Some difficulties have arisen with enforcement of legislation ? littering especially ? because the public does not regard the Stewards as having enough authority to enforce these laws. Problems with enforcement are not limited to the Stewards however, as there is a national issue with the proper enforcement of marine regulations and policies.

LESSONS LEARNT
- Continuous environmental education sessions: Environmental education sessions for stewards need to be conducted regularly to keep up-to-date with local and global developments.

- Little knowledge of the environment: The general public has very little knowledge of and consideration for current environmental issues.

- Realistic objectives: It is important that, for any project, the objectives that are conceptualized in the planning stages are practical and can be reached given the resources at hand. Devising unrealistic objectives will lead to major changes during the project?s implementation (some of which can be avoided) and a poor evaluation result at the project?s completion.

- Co-operation: It was recognized that many of the government agencies which we have been in contact with are quite willing to co-operate and assist the project. This was also the case with various non-government entities and stakeholders as well.