Message from the Executive Director

The holiday season kicked off in style on Friday 1 December with a fabulous Walkabout in St George’s! Thousands of locals and visitors enjoyed a magical evening in the World Heritage Site exploring the many historic buildings that were beautifully decorated for the occasion and taking in the festive atmosphere and entertainment on King’s Square. I am very proud of the hardworking BNT staff who make it happen and grateful to all the volunteers, in particular Annette Cook who organized the stage line-up, Tiffany Banner who beautifully decorated the Globe Museum and Trustworthy shop, our talented team of flower-arrangers and bakers, and those who manned the various buildings on the night. Thanks also to our generous sponsors Butterfield, Belco, HSBC, Gosling’s, Butterfield & Vallis and the Department of Culture.

With only a couple of weeks to Christmas, it’s time to find gifts for the special people in your life. Our Holiday Pop-up Shop at Waterville has many lovely locally-made items for sale and our Trustworthy shop at the Globe Museum in St George’s also has great gifts. New this year is our own unique linen tea-towel with a Verdmont design by Barbara Finsness. Stop in and browse – we would be glad to offer you a glass of wine or eggnog while you shop! Opening hours are 10am-4pm Monday to Saturday until Saturday, 23 December.

2023 has been a very busy and successful year for the Trust, and we couldn’t have done it without the help of our many individual and corporate supporters. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

Karen Border

Executive Director

Give the Gift that Keeps on Giving!

If you are looking for a meaningful Christmas present for someone who has everything, consider the gift that keeps giving and make a donation to Buy Back Bermuda in your loved one's name. We will supply a gift certificate complete with bow! Your gift will go into the Campaign Three fund to prepare High Point Nature Reserve in Southampton for public opening. Visit buybackbermuda.bm for more information.

Click here to donate or call 236-6483 with your credit card to order a Gift Certificate.

Natural Heritage Updates

Myles Darrell, Head of Natural Heritage

Thank you for a successful 2023!

As 2023 draws to a close, thank you for the greatest gift of all: your support throughout the year! There have been some disappointments – the Southampton Princess Special Development Order springs to mind – but many successes. On balance, it’s been a solid year of accomplishment. Here are a few highlights:

More than 500 native and endemic trees, shrubs and ground covers planted
Recipient of a Darwin Grant for Spittal Pond mitigation project to manage pollution and invasive species and reinterpret the Portuguese Rock narrative
Paget Marsh boardwalk restoration nearly complete, with sponsorship from Conduit Re and Aspen Bermuda
Somerset Long Bay East Nature Reserve coastal erosion remediation completed
Conservation Management Plan completed for Rebecca Middleton Nature Reserve
Hundreds of young Bermudians engaged in work in open spaces, including Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver participants, the Eco Schools ‘Earth Reporters’ at Sherwin NR, Sandys Middle School at Gilbert NR, Paget Primary at Rebecca Middleton NR, Somerset Brownies at Somerset Long Bay NR, Somerfield Interact group at Eve’s Pond, Saltus senior students at Paget Marsh, tree donations from Warwick Academy and partnership with Bermuda College for the BUEI Youth Climate Summit.
Nature Reserve sponsorships: Clarien for Scaur Lodge, Appleby for Sherwin NR, PricewaterhouseCoopers for Eve’s Pond, Steinhoff Family Trust for Gilbert NR, QBE Foundation for Rebecca Middleton, Centennial Foundation for Somerset Long Bay East and Marjorie Jackson NR
Eco Club sponsorship provided by Lancashire Re and the Garden Club of Bermuda
Corporate volunteer days at various reserves and other corporate support: Athene, BeSolar, Brit Reinsurance Bermuda, Enstar, Global Atlantic, PartnerRe, Rosewood

Cultural Heritage Updates

Dr. Charlotte Andrews, Head of Cultural Heritage

RISE for Portuguese Rock

Our sincere thanks go to the community participants who joined a focus group held at Verdmont Museum to discuss Portuguese Rock in the Trust’s nearby Spittal Pond Nature Reserve. Stacey-Lee Williams, CUR B‘s Executive Director, facilitated the discussion and aimed to create a safe space for those gathered to share their knowledge, responses and feelings about the site, especially for community members of African and/or Portuguese descent. The discussion was immensely valuable for our current reinterpretation of the site signage. And the focus group was another step in our ongoing work Reimagining International Sites of Enslavement (RISE), properties under the Trust’s care.

Stacey-Lee Williams at Verdmont

Portuguese Rock site and signage

Heritage returns home

An 18th century Bermuda cedar chest has come home to Bermuda and joins the Trust’s collection thanks to the longtime family owners. Toni (nee Darrell) and Dick Moutray bore all expenses to repatriate the Darrell family heirloom, and Toni patiently worked with us to ensure the piece’s safe return from Canada to Bermuda. Andre Redstone, who restored the chest in the 1990s and supported the current accession into the Trust’s collection, identified ‘the cedar Chippendale style chest on frame as a fine example of Bermudian craftsmanship’. We are most grateful to the Moutrays for their generosity and extremely pleased to add this significant piece to the Trust’s collection.

Uncrating the chest after its journey.

The chest is now on display at Waterville.

Celebration of a Parish Church

The Trust was pleased to attend a special service with Canon John Stow on behalf of the wardens, vestry and members of Trinity Church thanking all who contributed to the celebration of the church’s 400th Anniversary Year. Earlier this year, we proudly loaned collections depicting Trinity Church to the T400EX show at the Bermuda Society of Arts, ‘a celebration of a Parish Church and life in Bermuda over four centuries, newly probed and illustrated with works of art and poetry inspired by the church’.