Wayne Jackson Buy Back Bermuda

All threats to Bermuda's environment are alarming however two are particularly alarming, development and lack of awareness. Some of the impacts of continuing escalating  losses of spaces on Bermuda's psyche and society manifest themselves in anxiety extremes, impatience, stress resulting in discourtesy to and disrespect for each other, intolerance of each other often resulting in violence to resolve differences.  We have to find that delicate balance, the sustainable development rate at which progress still can be made without sacrificing the very fabric of our society. The fundamental components of which are peace of mind and quality of life, our society's failure to do this has contributed to a terrible strain on the family unit. The frightening lack of awareness of people regarding what the rate of development of open spaces is having on their lives in terms of detrimental harmful impacts is a real concern. 

            If a resource is diminishing especially because of consumer demand then the law of supply and demand dictates the price will increase and that's the challenge facing BBB.  How to preserve swiftly vanishing open space - space which is under threat of development and therefore being lost to future generations forever. Especially when landowners can achieve all-time high prices for selling their open spaces to developers.

            The vision of Dennis Sherwin, a past president of the Bermuda National Trust, whose ideal is to create a "green necklace" of open space forming a connected nature trail enabling people to traverse a green nature trail uninterrupted from one end of the Island to the other, BBB shares this vision, this ideal.  BBB is attempting to acquire open spaces which are contiguous with already preserved and protected open spaces so that, whenever possible, Dennis Sherwin's dream, his vision, comes a little closer to being reality.  Dr Wingate the retired government conservation officer is a well known advocate for the preservation of everything rare and irreplaceable and has identified the appropriate sites for BBB's attention.

            BBB was formed in 2005 to purchase Pitman's pond a 3 acre plot in Sandys parish with a man made pond attracting all sorts of bird life. The first buy back Bermuda campaign showed unequivocally that we had struck a sensitive nerve in our community and people now are a lot more aware of the critical issue of vanishing space than they were 10 or even 5 years ago.

            And so the next project is two sites, Eve's pond a 3.5 acre site in Hamilton Parish and Evans Bay pond some 7.5 acres in Southampton which runs to the little sound and boasts live Bermuda cedars, rare native flora and a rich plethora of bird life.  When Dr Wingate has put his final touches to EvansBay and Eve's pond Bermuda will owe an infinite debt of gratitude to Dr David Wingate.