BAHAMAS PINE ISLANDS PROJECT CONTEST WINNERS ARE ANNOUNCED!
Bahamas Agricultural & Industrial Corporation (BAIC) and Creative Nassau (CN), joint sponsors of the Bahamas Pine Islands Project (BPIP)/Seawords Poetry & Video Contest which promoted the Cascarilla plant and the Silver Top Palm, have announced the lucky winners. The winning contestant for poetry in the 10-15 category is Daly Grace Elizabeth McCartney, and Jamya Symonette took top honours for her poem in the 16-21 group. Two winners were chosen for video in the 16-21 age group—Waynisha Saunders and Jasmine Beneby. Ashton Newbold won in the 10-15 video category. The presentation of the prizes took place on Friday, 29 July at BAIC Headquarters on Old Trail Road.
The BPIP/SeaWords Poetry & Video Contest was offered in support of the Bahamas Pine Islands Project, a Bahamas Government programme to protect, cultivate, and increase the industrial development of Silver Top Palms and Cascarilla. Launched on April 19, the competition was intended to promote a greater awareness and appreciation for the economic, social, and cultural value of these two local plants—Cascarilla (Croton eleuteria) and the Silver Top Palm (Coccothrinax argentata). Through straw work and cascarilla bark processing respectively, both plants have provided sustainable livelihoods for Bahamians for generations throughout the archipelago.
Judges for the event were Dr Marie Sairsingh, Associate Professor; Dr Dustin Hellberg, Assistant Professor; and Ernestia Fraser, part time lecturer, all three from the School of English Studies at the University of The Bahamas. Also judging were Carla Glinton, BSNIC Administrator, and Michelle Malcolm, noted media personality.
The members of the organizing committee for the event included Taneko Adams, HR, BAIC; Pam Burnside and Patricia Glinton-Meicholas, President and Vice president respectively of CN; Neko Meicholas, executive director, marketing, CN and publisher, Guanima Press Ltd; and Dr Michele Singh, country representative of the Caribbean Agricultural Research Development Institute (CARDI).
BPIP activities are managed by BAIC, under its Education and Public Awareness Team. In the development and organization of the contest, BAIC partnered with the NGOs Creative Nassau and Guanima Press Ltd. The latter two organizations conceived of and launched the Seawords Literary Festival in 2018. Primary sponsorship for the Contest is derived from the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which provides support to the BPIP.
For more information on the BPIP Project, search ‘Bahamas Pine Islands Project’ or visit these websites:
https://bpiproject.depp.gov.bs/; http://www.thegef.org https://www.creativenassau.com https://www.androsartisan.com/
Left to right: Cordero Johnson, Project Manager DEPP; Taneko Adams; Contest Winners: Daly McCartney; Louquesha Roker, Guardian for Ashton Newbold; Wanisha Saunders; Jasmine Beneby; and Pam Burnside. Not present: Winner, Jamya Symonette
BAHAMAS PINE ISLAND PROJECT CONTEST
WINNING ENTRIES:
WAYNISHA SAUNDERS JASMINE BENEBY
VIDEO WINNER CATEGORY 2 VIDEO WINNER CATEGORY 2
JAMYA SYMONETTE, POETRY WINNER CATEGORY 2
Two Natures
Two natures entangled in a culture
their aspects intrigue those that care to see
true diamonds proved to us
hidden under rocks and covered by dust
There is gold planted by our feet
Cascarilla, your oil clings to me
Sweet palm, twisted to match creativity
why diminish those who provide sustainability.
DALY McCARTNEY, POETRY WINNER CATEGORY 1
Cascarilla Plant and the Silver Top Palm
Cascarillas and Silver Top Palms planted, then ... watered, tended to ...
Then we break off stems in the backyard
Get them, soak them in the sea. Crushed them, beat them,
Boil them good - Grammy says its medicine
Now time to gather the palms ...
Sitting inside we learn, right over left, under
Left over right, under... fingers pulse - winding along
Comes the finished bag. A woven heritage in plaited straw.
THE BPIP’S POETRY AND VIDEO CONTEST SUBMISSIONS ARE PRESENTLY BEING JUDGED…….STAY TUNED FOR THE RESULTS!
PLEASE READ EVERYTHING ON THIS PAGE CAREFULLY
The Organizers of the BPIP Poetry & Video Contest reserve the right to modify the rules as necessary.
No purchase or payment necessary to enter or win.
PRIMARY SPONSOR
Bahamas Pine Islands Project (BPIP) in partnership with the Global Environment Facility via the United Nations.
ORGANIZERS
Bahamas Agricultural & Industrial Corporation (BAIC)
Creative Nassau (CN) and Guanima Press Ltd (as part of latter two bodies’ SeaWords Bahamas).
CONTEST OBJECTIVES
The contest is intended to
Promote wider knowledge and appreciation of the cultural, social and economic value of two native plants— Cascarilla (Croton eleuteria) and Silver Top Palm (Coccothrinax argentata).
Offer young Bahamians a positive, creative outlet, while educating them on several important parts of their country’s heritage, environmental assets and their protection and sustainability.
Assist in promoting the goals of the Bahamas Pine Islands Project (described below), especially among young Bahamians, whose support is essential to the success of BPIP goals.
CONTEST AGE CATEGORIES
1. Ten (10) to fifteen (15) years
2. Sixteen (16) to twenty-one (21) Years
THE CREATIVE CHALLENGE
Contestants are asked to produce either a two-verse poem or a video of no more than one minute long, based on the contest objectives as stated above.
ELIGIBILITY (WHO MAY ENTER THE CONTEST)
Contestants must be:
Citizens or legal residents of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Aged from ten (10) to twenty-one (21) years at the date of entry. To receive their prize, each winner must verify their eligibility with a Government-issued ID. Parents or guardians of contestants under the age of eighteen (18) will be required to sign a consent form on their behalf.
CONTEST PERIOD
The contest begins at 12:01 a.m. (all times are Eastern Standard Time) on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 2022. (“Contest Entry Period”). No entries will be accepted before or after these dates. Submissions will be judged at the end of the Contest Entry Period.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS (How to Enter)
Read and follow all Contest rules as stated on either of these websites:— www.creativenassau.com/cascarilla or www.guanima.com/seawordsfestival.
Submit your entries to seawordsbahamas@gmail.com. In the subject line of your e-mail, write “Silver Cascarilla Contest”.
CONTESTANT CONTACT INFORMATION. All emailed submissions must contain the following information.
Contestant Name:
Age:
Date of Birth:
Sex (Male/Female):
National Insurance Number:
Telephone Number:
Address
House Number:
Street:
P.O. Box Number:
Island of Residence:
…
Have you seen a Cascarilla tree before this competition? (Yes/No)
Does any member of your family harvest Cascarilla bark? (Yes/No)
If “yes” on which island(s) do they harvest the bark?
Have you seen a Silver Top Palm before this competition? (Yes/No)
Can you recognize and distinguish the Silver Top Palm from other palms? (Yes/No)PARENT/GUARDIAN CONSENT & CONTACT INFORMATION
If a contestant is below the age of eighteen (18), he/she must have the consent of a parent or guardian. The following information must be included in the emailed submission.
Parent/Guardian Name:
National Insurance Number:
Telephone Number:
Address
House Number:
Street:
P.O. Box Number:
Island of Residence:
Do you consent to your child’s participation in this contest (Yes/No)?Only one (1) entry per contestant is permitted. Submit either a poem or a video.
Poems must be a maximum of two (2) verses of four (4) lines each or a total of eight (8) lines (excluding the title). Videos must not exceed one minute in length. The contents of all entries must speak about the Cascarilla plant and the Silver Top Palm and their value to Bahamians and The Bahamas and the need to grow, protect and sustain them.
Uploading of Video Entries. Videos are to be uploaded to Youtube by the contestant and the Youtube video link emailed to seawordsbahamas@gmail.com along with the CONTESTANT CONTACT INFORMATION as indicated above.
Poems and videos must be the original work of the contestant. Entries that do not comply with this regulation will be automatically disqualified. The Poem or video submission must include the CONTESTANT CONTACT INFORMATION as indicated above.
Once an entry is submitted, contestants cannot change/modify it in any way.
Entries cannot have previously been published or posted on any social media site.
JUDGING: All entries will be assessed by a panel of judges comprising educators and creative professionals based on the following criteria:
a.) originality (25%);
b.) creativity of presentation (25%) and
c.) appropriateness to Contest Theme (50%).
Decisions of the judges shall be final in all matters related to this Contest.PRIZES/PRIZE COLLECTION: There will be First, Second and Third place prizes awarded in each age category. Prizes will be awarded provided a sufficient number of eligible entries are received. There will be no substitution given for a prize. Prizes are not transferable.
Winners will be notified by e-mail or telephone, and be required to show a Bahamas Government-endorsed ID within fourteen (14) days of the date and time of notification. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in forfeiture of the prize and a runner-up will be determined. The certified winner will not be endorsed until eligibility is verified and official notification is received from BPIP.
IMPORTANT NOTES
USE OF ENTRIES: Submission of an entry automatically grants Sponsors/Organizers and their agents non-exclusive worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free license and right to publish, use, edit, adapt, modify and/or publicly perform the entry in any way, in commerce and in any and all media worldwide now known or hereinafter developed, without limitation and without notice or consideration of the contestant.
KEEP IT CLEAN
Entries may not include: (a) profanity, nudity or material deemed inappropriate or offensive to the judges or the Sponsors; (b) false or defamatory statements about any person or any third party; (c) third party trademarks which suggest affiliation with any trademark owner without permission of such owner or that dilute the value of any trademark; (d) obscene, indecent, violent, sexually explicit, abusive, discriminatory, racially inflammatory or other morally or legally objectionable depictions of material, in the opinion of the judges or the Sponsors. Entries will NOT be returned or acknowledged except as provided herein.
DISQUALIFICATION
If an entry includes any of the prohibited elements listed above, the entry will be automatically disqualified, along with the contestant who submitted it. Sponsors reserve the right to modify or reject any entry, in their sole and absolute discretion, that does not meet the above criteria.
GENERAL TERMS
By participating in the Contest, contestants agree to be bound by the official rules of the Contest and warrant and represent that none of the material submitted or posted infringes upon or otherwise violates the copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity or other intellectual or proprietary rights of any person or entity. Prize acceptance constitutes permission (except where prohibited) to use winner’s name, likeness and entry (in whole or in part) for publicity purposes in all forms of media including the worldwide Internet without additional compensation, notification, or permission.
By participating in the Contest, contestants agree that Sponsors shall have the right to use all personal information provided to Sponsors. Participants, by participating in this Contest, hereby waive and release, and agree to hold harmless the Organizers, Sponsors, distributors and retailers of Sponsors’ products, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents, from and against, any and all rights, claims and causes of action whatsoever that they may have, or which may arise, against any of them for any liability for any matter, cause of thing whatsoever, including but not limited to any injury, loss, damage, whether direct, compensatory, incidental or consequential, to person, including death and property, arising in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from their acceptance, possession, use or misuse of a prize in the Contest, or their participation in the Contest, or their participation in any Contest or prize related activity, or any travel related to the Contest, or any travel for any prize-related activity.
Organizers, Sponsors and their agents are not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged, incomplete or illegible entries or Internet technical, hardware, software, telephone, or transmission failures of any kind, which may limit a person’s ability to enter the Contest. Organizers, Sponsors and their agents are not responsible for any injury or damage to contestants’ or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from entering or downloading any materials in the Contest.
Organizers and Sponsors reserve the right to cancel or suspend the Contest on the Internet should a computer virus, unauthorized intervention or other cause corrupt the integrity or proper conduct of the promotion. Organizers and Sponsors reserve the right to disqualify any contestant found to be disrupting the operation of the Contest or its websites. If the integrity of the Internet portion of the Contest is compromised in any manner, Organizers and Sponsors reserve the right to modify the Contest and judge winners from valid entries received that are unaffected by the problem. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of any online contestant, contestant will be deemed the individual named on the online entry form.
NOTES ON BAHAMAS PINE ISLANDS PROJECT & ORGANIZERS
The Bahamas Pine Islands Project (BPIP) is part of a Bahamas Government programme to protect, nurture and develop the economic potential of The Bahamas’ natural assets. Among the goals of BPIP is the conservation, cultivation and sustainable economic exploitation of two native plants Cascarilla (Croton eleuteria) and the Silver Top Palm (Coccothrinax argentata). Through Cascarilla bark processing and straw work, respectively, both plants have provided sustainable livelihoods for Bahamians for generations.
BPIP is funded by the Government of the Bahamas and Global Environment Facility (GEF). One of the major goals of the programme is to improve the production and processing of Cascarilla in a sustainable manner. The Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) is the executing agency for the project, along with several agencies, including the Forestry Division of The Bahamas; the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources & Family Island Affairs; Bahamas Agriculture & Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) and Bahamas Development Bank (BDB).
Creative Nassau (CN), a non-governmental organization (NGO) is a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and an in-kind contributing member of this project. CN is dedicated to the promotion of the history, heritage and culture of The Bahamas and of its creative industries under the broad umbrella of the Orange Economy.
Guanima Press Ltd is a publishing and graphic design studio with links to the art, culture and creative communities in The Bahamas. As a part of its many community outreach programmes, Guanima Press Ltd is donating its services to this project.
CONTEST ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Members of the organizing committee include: Taneko Adams, HR, BAIC; Pam Burnside and Patricia Glinton-Meicholas, President & Vice president, respectively of CN and Neko Meicholas, publisher/artist, Guanima Press Ltd & executive member of CN. Names of the contest judges, who are eminently suited to the task, will be made known at a later date.
April 13, 2022
Bahamas Pine Islands/SeaWords Bahamas Poetry & Video Contest
Promoting the Value of the Cascarilla Plant and the Silver Top Palm
April 19 will mark the launch of the Bahamas Pine Island Project (BPIP)/SeaWords Bahamas Poetry & Video Contest. Contestants will be challenged to produce a 2-verse poem or 1-minute video in competition for a wealth of prizes for top performers.
The contest is intended to promote a greater understanding and appreciation for the economic, social and cultural value of two local plants— Cascarilla (Croton eleuteria) and the Silver Top Palm (Coccothrinax argentata). Through straw work and cascarilla bark processing both plants have provided sustainable livelihoods for Bahamians for generations throughout the archipelago. Cascarilla bark harvesting for export is especially important to the economies of Crooked Island and Acklins, while the production of straw work based on material from the Silver Top Palm has produced income for Bahamians throughout the country.
The BPIP/SeaWords Bahamas Poetry & Video Contest is open to citizens and legal residents of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in two age categories, 10-15 and 16-21. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in each age category. The contest officially starts on Tuesday, 19 April 2022 and ends Friday, 20 May, 2022. Contestants are allowed only a single submission of either a poem or a video.
Winning contestants will be required to provide a Government-issued ID as proof of their eligibility. Parents or guardians of winners under the age of eighteen will be required to sign a consent form on their behalf.
Contestants are encouraged to research the Cascarilla plant and the Silver Top Palm and their uses and importance to the heritage and economy of The Bahamas. Creativity, originality and accurate information will carry greatest weight in selecting contest winners. Those interested in submitting entries are strongly advised to read carefully the BPIP/SeaWords Bahamas Poetry & Video Contest Rules and Regulations.
All entries must be submitted by e-mail to seawordsbahamas@gmail.com with the words “Silver Cascarilla” in the subject line of the e-mail.
Full details for the contest, including rules and regulations, can be found on the following websites www.creativenassau.com/cascarilla (Creative Nassau) www.guanima.com/seawordsfestival (Guanima Press Ltd).
The contest Entry and Submission Period begins at 12:01 a.m. (all times are Eastern Standard Time) on Tuesday, 19 April 2022 and ends at 11:59 pm on Friday, 20 May 2022. No entries will be accepted before or after these dates. Submissions will be judged at the end of the Contest Entry Period. Winners will be announced in due time following a thorough assessment by seasoned professionals.
The BPIP/SeaWords Bahamas Poetry & Video Contest is offered in support of the Bahamas Pine Islands Project, a Bahamas Government programme to protect, cultivate and increase the industrial development and economic value of Silver Top Palms and Cascarilla. BPIP activities are managed by the Bahamas Agricultural & Industrial Corporation (BAIC), under its Education and Public Awareness Team. In the development and organization of the Contest, BAIC has partnered with the NGO Creative Nassau (CN) and Guanima Press Ltd. The latter two organizations conceived of and launched the SeaWords Bahamas Literary Festival in 2018.
Primary sponsorship for the Contest is derived from the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which provides support to the BPIP.
The members of the organizing committee of this novel event include Taneko Adams, HR, BAIC; Pam Burnside and Patricia Glinton-Meicholas, President & Vice president, respectively of CN and Neko Meicholas, owner, Guanima Press Ltd and executive member of CN. Names of the contest judges, all educators and creative professionals eminently suited to the task, will be made known at a later date.
Note: The Bahamas Pine Islands Project (BPIP) is administered by the Department of Environmental Protection and Planning (DEPP) through funding by the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Locally, it is implemented by the vibrant partnership of several public/private and civil society enterprises, namely BAIC; Department of Forestry; Ministry of Works, Planning Dept.; The Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs and Creative Nassau. For more information on the BPIP Project, search ‘Bahamas Pine Islands Project’ or visit the following websites: https://bpiproject.depp.gov.bs/ ; http://www.thegef.org or https://www.creativenassau.com .
The Bahamas Pine Islands project aims to build on recent advancements in the forestry sector by integrating biodiversity values, ecosystem services values and precepts of sustainable forest management and land-use into enhanced land-use planning in The Bahamas.
