Wilkinson Quarry Objection | June, 10th 2020

Click the link below to read more the objection regarding the proposed demolition of an unstable mound with a subterranean void in Wilkinson Quarry, Hamilton Parish.

Wilkinson Quarry Cave Objection 

BUILT HERITAGE | May 8, 2020

By Linda Abend, Bermuda National Trust

In conjunction with the National Museum of Bermuda, the Trust is going to run a series of short articles about the buildings that we consider most at risk in Bermuda and the most worth saving. 

Anna, the wife of Montreal merchant James Morgan, bought 31½ acres and an old Bermuda house from the heirs of Thomas Dunscomb in 1913. The core of the house can be traced with certainty to 1820 but is thought to date as far back as 1745. The property was already known as Southlands and it became James Morgan’s retirement project. Using stone cut from his quarries, he almost immediately began to extend the house. With the help of Bermudian architect Edward Tucker, the integrity of the original U-shaped house with its three uniquely-positioned butteries was not compromised. The quarries were turned into individually themed gardens with a variety of exotic imported plants. The Egyptian quarry for instance contained a pool of water lilies fringed by papyrus. Morgan purchased several nearby properties, eventually owning over 80 acres.

A philanthropist in Canada, James Morgan was generous in Bermuda. In 1920 he gave money to his neighbourhood school, Warwick Academy, which allowed them to complete the wings and build the assembly hall. He was a member of the Warwick Parish Development Committee set up in 1917 to tackle the deficiency in the food supply by encouraging home gardening and the cultivation of all available land. The Morgans held fundraisers at Southlands to help with the cost of equipment needed for the newly opened King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Click here to read the full article

To learn more about the history of Southlands see our newest book from out Architectural Heritage Series: Warwick, available for purchase.

BUILT HERITAGE | MARCH 19, 2020

By Linda Abend and Margie Lloyd, Bermuda National Trust

In conjunction with the National Museum of Bermuda, the Trust is going to run a series of short articles about the buildings that we consider most at risk in Bermuda and the most worth saving. This is the first article.

Located on the corner of Cambridge and Somerset roads is the Independent Order of Odd Fellows’ Loyal Irresistible Lodge No. 6587. Named after HMS Irresistible then stationed in Bermuda, it is without a doubt the most elaborate of all the lodge buildings.

Designed by John W Greig as a two-storey building, 56’ x 29’ x 14’ on each floor with a side tower, the cornerstone was laid in April 1901. From start to finish the work was done on a voluntary basis by the Brethren of the Lodge and when completed was debt-free. The grand new hall was dedicated with much pomp and circumstance on May 30, 1902. Participating in the celebration were members of the other Friendly Societies who arrived from Hamilton and St George’s on the steamer Corona. The newspaper remarked that “the most important feature of the parade was the presence of the Juvenile Branches... It is to them the Odd Fellows must look to build up their Lodges in the future”.

Click Here to Read More

PRESS RELEASE: Joint Statement: Buy Back Bermuda, The Bermuda National Trust and the Bermuda Audubon Society: Breaks ground for new nature reserve

March, 9th 2020 - A new nature reserve in Hamilton Parish will be open to the public this suBmmer. Ground was broken on Friday for the restoration of Eve’s Pond, a project by Buy Back Bermuda, the joint initiative of Bermuda National Trust and Bermuda Audubon Society. In 1941 Eve’s Pond was filled in with sand dredged from Flatts Inlet. Funds raised from the community enabled Buy Back to acquire the 3.5-acre property in 2012, and prepare for its restoration as a sanctuary for wildlife and public enjoyment. Stay tuned for updates on this important conservation project.

Eve's Pond Press Release

PRESS RELEASE: Joint Statement: Bermuda National Trust and Bermuda Audubon Society on Judkin Lane, Hamilton Parish, Open Space quarrying proposal

February 11, 2020 - The Bermuda National Trust and Bermuda Audubon Society are extremely disappointed with the decision of the Minister of Home Affairs to approve the proposed commercial quarrying on the lot north of 9 Judkin Lane in Hamilton Parish, against the recommendation of the Independent Planning Inspector appointed to review the appeal.

As noted by the Independent Planning Inspector, this decision overturns the protection of Bermuda’s open space afforded by the Bermuda Plan 2018 and would result in the permanent destruction of a large section of woodland on a highly visible hillside in an area of significant environmental value.

We urge the Government to put in place a long-term plan for the provision of slate from acceptable development zones, for present and future use. The current approach is too damaging to our long-term future.

The ongoing piecemeal loss of Bermuda’s places of natural beauty, so essential to the wellbeing of the entire community, including our tourism product, is alarming. It flies in the face of the growing global understanding that we must do more, not less, to protect woodlands as part of the global fight against climate change.

Joint statement BNT BAS- Judkin Lane.pdf 

 PRESS RELEASE: BNT Appeals the Decision to Approve PLAN-0082-19

The Bermuda National Trust has appealed the decision of the Development Applications Board to approve a large six-storey quarry on Judkin Lane (planning application PLAN-0082-19) and has received great support from both the Bermuda Audubon Society and BEST.

The proposal for a quarry, and that of an enormous house proposed in same location under a separate application, will have significant detrimental effects on a pristine natural area including three of our properties which we are charged to protect: two Nature Reserves, HT North and Mangrove Lake, that support many endangered species, and a wooded property with a house – the old Hamilton Parish Post Office - that today accommodates two residences. This proposal poses an unacceptable risk to the tenants’ safety and quality of their lives and would have a harmful effect on the Reserves.

As a charity with the primary goal of preserving the island’s built heritage and building methods, we in no way object to the quarrying of slate and we have much sympathy for members of the public who have been unable to acquire slate to repair their houses after Hurricane Humberto. However, we have been informed, as has the Government, that the owners of a historic slate quarry, not 300ft away from this site, offered that their quarry, in an unobtrusive location, be reopened to meet the current need – as it was in 2014 following Hurricanes Fay and Gonzalo – but to our knowledge, the owners did not receive a response or the proposal given the appropriate consideration.

We objected to this application for the following reasons:

• The proposal is for a six-storey quarry accessible only from a private driveway that is the only access to two of our residences;
• The site has permission only for a 1,000sqft house on the site of an existing ruin that necessitates no significant excavation;
• The site is designated by the 2018 Bermuda Plan entirely for conservation and the proposal is in no way compatible with this or the surrounding natural environment;
• An application, PLAN-0023-19, that has not been decided yet, for a 6,000+sqft house (12,000+sqft including hard landscaping) was erroneously presented to the Board as a fait accompli; we and a host of other concerned neighbours and conservation groups have objected to the house and its inappropriate scale and massing – not one house in the area exceeds 2,000sqft;
• This type of commercial and industrial process is only permitted in a development area, which this site is not;
• The Conservation Management Plan for the site was seriously flawed, provided no opportunity for public input, and inexplicably was given the go ahead, facilitating the deforestation of the entire Woodland Reserve on a steep and highly visible hillside;
• The clearing of this woodland encroached onto our property and removed a significant section of National Trust protected woodland;
• The applicant did not comply with the conditions of Planning and the Conservation Management Plan;
• The fact that no protected woodland remained onsite (due to the above) was perversely used as grounds to approve the development;
• The site was subject to an outstanding Planning Enforcement complaint as the owner misused the site’s Agricultural Reserve to store industrial equipment;
• Allowing Judkin Lane, a very narrow and curving single-track lane, for the use of heavy vehicles for an intense industrial process is not only environmentally unsound but poses a real threat to other road users;
• The real impact of traffic was not adequately presented to the Board;
• The application was not advertised as normal, nor were the details clear, meaning that many of the neighbours and other concerned conservation bodies were denied their right to provide input;
• We submitted our objection on the deadline on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 23, and the Board approved the application less than 48 hours later – meaning that its contents and concerns could not have possibly been given the proper scrutiny, analysis or consideration;
• The impact of noise, vibration, dust, traffic, air quality and runoff on our residences, neighbours and on the Nature Reserves HT North and Mangrove Lake and the wildlife they sustain was not established;
• The quarry will have an unacceptable impact and pose a threat to safety of the residents of one of our houses; 40ft from the garden of two small children;
• The operation licence will not mitigate the impact of noise, vibration etc. on our residences;
• The noise assessment submitted with the application is for a different property so has no bearing on this application as it is for a completely different site in a different environment;
• The applicant recently operated another quarry that was subject to stop orders and a retroactive planning application for quarrying in Woodland Reserve and this was not presented to the Board;  conversely the operation of the proposed quarry, PLAN-0082-19, was represented to the Board as an operation that would be carried out in an orderly manner and for a limited duration;
• The dismissal of the visual impact as being only ‘temporary’ is wrong. No dwelling will be able to obscure a six-storey quarry and the scarring of this important prominent hillside will be an eyesore to the public forever.

  Press Release.pdf 

The Bermuda National Trust hopes that everyone is having a lovely summer. In case you missed it, the Regulatory Authority of Bermuda (RAB) recently published an Integrated Resource Plan which lays out a plan to meet the island’s future electricity demand through a variety of sources. 

The plan can be found here Bermuda Integrated Resource Plan and there is an executive summary that we encourage everyone to read

The Bermuda National Trust is delighted to see that the RAB has selected option (1D) that aims to have at least 75% of Bermuda’s future energy use come from renewables by 2035, and is also one of the options with the lowest carbon emissions.

While there are still feasibility studies to be done, we certainly welcome this direction for the island as it is an important move away from fossil fuels towards more sustainable electricity.

We would like to congratulate the RAB and all the public and private bodies that were involved in the consultation process to ensure Bermuda is not too heavily reliant on fossil fuels.

Also in July we submitted an objection to a planning subdivision application for the former Riddell’s Bay golf course that seeks to create 19 additional building lots and would result in the loss of 20+acres of conservation land including the development of a 0.66km section of pristine coastline.

The application did propose the creation of an open space and nature reserve area. However, this is not set in stone and as such, we feel, cannot be considered alongside the subdivision as a positive aspect.  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 3, 2019 - Hundreds of children are expected to head out into nature tomorrow (Thursday, April 4) when the Bermuda National Trust’s annual children’s Nature Walk takes place at Spittal Pond.

This firm favourite for many holiday camps and families takes place from 9.30am until noon, starts from the eastern end of Spittal Pond and is free thanks to the sponsorship of Arch Re.

It is primarily aimed at children aged between 5 and 12, but parents, grandparents and teachers are welcome.   

Participants walk the length of the park in small groups and stop at eight points where experts on everything from birds to geology to history share their knowledge with the children.

Bermuda National Trust Executive Director Bill Zuill said: “Last week we were thrilled to host filmmaker David Bond in Bermuda to screen “Project Wild Thing” which explored ways to get children out from behind their computer screens and into nature. The Children’s Nature Walk is a perfect way to get children into the open air and into nature for fun and learning.”

He added: “Our education team has worked hard to provide Bermuda’s children with a fabulous experience at Spittal Pond this Thursday.

 “The 1.5 mile walk will have 8 points where resident experts are eager to share their knowledge with the children. This year’s experts include members of the Audubon Society; Dr David Wingate, Eric and Janice Hetzel and Jennifer Gray who will be bringing their telescopes and are ready to tell everything you want to know about the resident and migratory birds in Bermuda.”

The BNT’s Director of Education Dr Dörte Horsfield will be providing a short introduction to one of Bermuda’s largest and most important nature reserves, Dr Jamie Bacon will be explaining interesting facts about the pond and its biology and Dr Alex Amat will introduce children to water chemistry. Ronnie Chameau will tell the story of the runaway slave Jeffrey at Jeffrey’s Cave, BNT Conservation Officer Lawrence Doughty will explain the geology of the Checkerboard formation and Rui Desa from Bermuda College will bring the story of Portuguese Rock and the early sailors to life.

Bermuda Government Agricultural Officer Tommy Sinclair will be located by the dairy farm and will talk about cows and dairy farming in Bermuda.

Although no one will be turned away, the BNT encourages participants to register in advance. For more information visit our website www.bnt.bm or e-mail Dorte Horsfield at dhorsfield@bnt.bm

-ends-

Media Inquiries: Bill Zuill at 236-6483, 535-7477 or wzuill@bnt.bm

  Children's Nature Walk 2019 Press Release.doc 

Arms Wide Open: Strategies for Engaging with Diverse Communities

Local residents encouraged to register for international conservation conference

February 19, 2019 - A major international conference taking place in Bermuda next month will feature Bermudians among its speakers and panelists. The Island was chosen as the conference venue as the result of a successful bid by the Bermuda National Trust (BNT), which also celebrates its 50^th anniversary this year.

This major biennial conference (March 27-30) will bring an estimated 100 individuals to Bermuda, from conservation organisations in 37 countries in Africa, Asia Pacific, the Americas, the Caribbean and Europe.

It is the group’s 18^th conference and was last staged in Bermuda 30 years ago. In addition, the fourth Caribbean Conference of National Trusts will take place at the same time to enable national trusts in the region to discuss their specific issues.

Bermudian speakers and panelists will include Bermuda’s first female Premier, Dame Pamela Gordon Banks, former Executive Director of the Bermuda National Trust Jennifer Gray, former Executive Director of the Bermuda National Museum of Dr Edward Harris, Bermuda National Trust President Alana Anderson and Keep Bermuda Beautiful Executive Director Ann Hyde.

Local conservation organisations have also been invited to attend the event. “We have contacted our sister environmental and heritage organisations and hope they and other private individuals will take this opportunity to enjoy the knowledgeable participants,” said a spokesman for the BNT.

“Understanding that not everyone can commit the time for the full conference, we’re offering a number of packages to make it manageable for our Bermuda colleagues. Full conference attendance including evening activities is $800; full conference daytime activities only is $500; and the daily rate is $175.”

The CV Zuill Scholarship Trust will accept applications from local non-profit representatives who would like help with funding their conference attendance. Applications can be made at  http://www.cvzuillaward.org/

Several corporate sponsors have also given their support to the conference. They are Butterfield Bank, Chubb, Fidelity and OIL. In addition, conference partners include the National Museum of Bermuda and the St George’s Foundation, Bermuda Tourism Authority and the One World airline alliance.   The Conference hotel is the Fairmont Southampton Resort.

The conference theme is diversity and inclusion and is entitled “Arms Wide Open – Strategies for Engaging with Diverse Communities”. Sessions will take place at the Fairmont Southampton Resort with sessions to be held off site including at the National Museum of Bermuda in the Royal Naval Dockyard and St George’s World Heritage Centre.

In addition to plenary sessions, five tracks have been set up for breakout sessions. These tracks are the environment, built heritage, diversity and inclusion, education and engagement and capacity building.

International speakers include:

• Her Royal Highness Princess Dana Firas of Jordan, the President of the Petra National Trust
• Dame Fiona Reynolds, President of the International National Trusts Organisation and former Director General of The National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland
• British curator, historian and filmmaker Gus Casely-Hayford, Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington DC
• David Bond, award-winning director, producer and writer of documentary, commercial and short film projects and director of Project Wild Thing, a film about connecting children with nature
• John Orna-Ornstein, the Director of Culture and Engagement for the National Trust of England Wales and Northern Ireland – the world’s largest National Trust.
• David J. Brown, Executive Vice President and Chief Preservation Officer with the National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Author and environmental advocate Marquetta Goodwine, known as Queen Quet after being elected Chieftess and Head-of-State for the Gullah/Geechee Nation.
• Gail Lord, president and co-founder of Lord Cultural Resources, formed in 1981 to address a need for planning services in the museum, cultural and heritage sector

All questions to Bill Zuill, Executive Director at wzuill@bnt.bm or call 236-6483

To register for the conference, please go to https://into-icnt.org/

To see the programme in more detail, please go to  Arms Wide Open Programme.pdf

Arms Wide Open: Strategies for Engaging with Diverse Communities

Bermuda chosen to host major conservation conference

December 18, 2018 - A successful bid by the Bermuda National Trust has resulted in Bermuda being chosen as the venue for a major conservation conference next year. The International Conference of National Trusts 2019 is expected to include 150 representatives of conservation organisations from around the world.

It is the group’s 18^th conference and was last staged in Bermuda 30 years ago. In addition, the fourth Caribbean Conference of National Trusts will take place at the same time to enable national trusts in the region to discuss their specific issues. 

The conference takes place from March 27-30, 2019 and will take place in St. George’s, Dockyard and at the Fairmont Southampton Resort.

“We are delighted to have been selected as the venue for the conference,” said Alana Anderson, President of the Bermuda National Trust. “It’s particularly meaningful for us as 2019 is the 50^th anniversary of the formation of our Trust.

“In addition, it’s a boost for Bermuda – not just the fact that the conference will bring visitors to our island in March, but because it attests to the fact that we are recognised as an island with a strong history of conservation and respect for our environment. We look forward to showing our visitors what Bermuda has to offer and how we have taken care and improved upon the natural beauty of the island. It will provide a valuable opportunity for us to learn from our peer organisations around the world.” 

Bill Zuill, Executive Director of the Bermuda National Trust, said the conference will be focused on diversity and inclusion “a topic of relevance to national trusts everywhere; only with the engagement of our communities can we succeeded in our conservation mission and ensure that natural and man-made heritage is preserved ‘for everyone, forever’.” 

The conference, titled “Arms Wide Open – Strategies for Engaging with Diverse Communities”, will be based at the Fairmont Southampton Resort with sessions to be held off site including at the Dockyard and St George’s World Heritage Site. 

“We have a great deal to discuss, but we want to showcase Bermuda as much as possible,” said Bill Zuill. “By locating the workshops and discussions outside the hotel, we will ensure our visitors get the a full Bermuda experience without compromising all the work we need to do.”

So far, delegates to the conference are signed up from 32 countries - Aruba, Australia, Bermuda, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, France, Fiji, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Malawi, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Philippines, Russia, St Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Sri Lanka, St Helena, Tanzania, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Virgin Islands, United Kingdom, United States and Zimbabwe.

Bermuda residents who wish to take part in the conference can also do so in one of two ways. They can sign up for a full delegates’ pass which includes evening entertainment for $800, or they can sign up for a Bermuda delegates’ pass, which entitles them to attend all daytime events, for $500.  Residents can register for the conference at https://into-icnt.org/

Panel discussions and workshops will be led by experts in their field from around the world, with strong representation from Bermuda. Plenary speakers confirmed so far include:

• British curator, historian and filmmaker Gus Casely-Hayford, Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington DC since February, 2018. Awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, he is one of the world’s foremost authorities on African art, and the creator of the BBC TV series The Lost Kingdoms of Africa. Dr Casely-Hayford is a former Executive Director of Arts Strategy, Arts Council England, and advisor to the United Nations and the Canadian, Dutch and Norwegian Arts Councils and the Tate Gallery.
• Marquetta Goodwine became Queen Quet after being elected Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation. A native of St Helena Island, South Carolina, she is an author, preservationist and performance artist. In 2008, she recorded the story of the Gullah/Geechee at UNESCO headquarters in Paris for the UN archives. Her activism began with securing land rights for the Gullah/Geechee people, who often passed land down through the generations without any legal documentation to prove ownership. In 1996, she founded the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition to support the continuation of Gullah/Geechee culture.
• Gail Lord is president and co-founder of Lord Cultural Resources, formed in 1981 to address a need for planning services in the museum, cultural and heritage sector. The company has completed more than 2,200 projects in over 57 countries. Focused on creating value from “the maximisation of cultural resources”, the company has offices in New York, London, Mumbai, Beijing and Toronto, and clients in the public, private, foundation, government and nonprofit sectors.

Media Inquiries: Bill Zuill, Executive Director, Bermuda National Trust 

wzuill@bnt.bm  236-6483 ext 223