The Bermuda cedar tree, renowned for its distinctive appearance and historical significance, is arguably Bermuda’s most beloved endemic plant and has played a critical role in the development of the island, but it is by no means our only endemic plant. 

Our island is composed of a wide range of natural habitats considering it is only 54 square kilometers in size, and our ancestors walked daily through coastal forests, meadows and wetlands populated with a unique mixture of endemic plants including Palmetto, Darrell’s Fleabane, Yellow Wood, Royal Fern, Turkey Berry and St. Andrew’s Cross. 

Despite their importance as the foundation of our eco-system however, several of these original inhabitants are now rarely sighted due to human development and encroachment from imported invasive plants such as Casuarina and Brazil Pepper. 

Even worse, some of these plants are now so rare that the few remaining specimens are in danger of being uprooted by well-intentioned homeowners who don’t know what they are, or don’t recognize their importance to the landscape around their house. 

IDENTIFYING AND PROTECTING ENDEMIC PLANTS 

The Bermuda Plant Finder – An illustrated guide for Bermuda’s Indigenous and Invasive Plants which was developed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, contains color photos and a lot of helpful information regarding which plants will most likely thrive in the diverse variety of soil and weather conditions that are found around the island. 

“These rare plants are listed just like old Bermuda houses,” says endemic plant specialist Robin Marirea. “Before you start cutting back old bushes on your property it’s a great idea to look them up in The Bermuda Plant Finder, to identify exactly what they are, because there are certain ones (like cedar trees) which you are not supposed to cut down,” he explained. 

It goes without saying that it is important to ensure that you have correctly identified each of your plants to ensure that it really is an endemic species because it can be confusing to distinguish between endemic and naturalized (non-native) plants. 

This is particularly true when it comes to cedar trees as there are currently several species of ornamental Juniper in Bermuda that are often confused with the Bermuda Cedar because they are particularly similar in appearance. 

According to the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources only about 5% of the original Bermuda cedar population survived the juniper scale insect attack that occurred between 1946 and 1953, meaning that these particular plants are resistant to scale. 

In consequence, growing cedars from the berries of these same trees (or their descendants) will ensure that your seedlings will also be resistant to the scale and develop a strong tab root (deep root system) that will help them withstand hurricanes. 

While it is possible to clone cedar trees from tip cuttings, Mr. Marirea cautions that this form of propagation tends to produce plants with a much shallower root system which makes them vulnerable to the ravages of high winds. 

DECIDING WHICH SPECIES WILL THRIVE ON YOUR PROPERTY 

Ms. Lisa Green, Co-Author of A Practical Guide to Garden Management in Bermuda, recommends taking a drive around your own neighbourhood to see what is growing well in your area of the island and then checking with commercial nurseries and private growers to see what is available. 

Asking friends and neighbours for permission to take cuttings or gather seeds is another way to introduce endemic plants to your garden that are likely to thrive, provided you have the time and the patience to propagate them yourself. 

As tempting as it might be, however, it is important to resist the urge to tamper with or remove plants in our National Parks, Nature Reserves and Micro-Forests as these are all resting on protected land. 

GROWING ENDEMIC PLANTS TO SHARE 

“The local nurseries do stock some of the more common endemic plants,” says Ms. Green. “But the nurseries just can’t keep up with the demand – we really need more individuals who have space to propagate endemic plants on an individual basis.” 

“Even if you already have all the plants that you need for your own landscaping, growing these plants as a pastime and sharing them with friends or donating them to the National Trust’s Annual Plant Sale is a great way to help ensure that these species will survive by making them more accessible locally,” she explained. 

Church sales, House Sales and even Emoo and Facebook Marketplace are also great places to keep your eyes peeled for endemic plants that people have grown at home. 

PROPAGATION TIPS 

“The key thing to understand is that you can’t just plant one endemic plant (or source all of your cuttings from one plant) and expect it to thrive,” cautions Mr. Marirea. “Ideally these plants need to be planted in clusters of 6-8 because some species generate both male and female plants, and you need both to be present in order for them to flourish.” 

Additionally, it’s important to understand that some endemic species have a longer lifespan than others and you will need a garden management plan just as you would for any landscape project – a Bermuda Olivewood tree, for example, which can grow to a height of 25 feet will last lifetime, while a St. Andrew’s Cross shrub, which seldom grows more than 18 inches high, has a much shorter lifespan. 

Resources: The Bermuda Garden Club has published three comprehensive books on gardening in Bermuda which turn up regularly at The Barn and Jumble Sales. 

A Practical Guide to Garden Management in Bermuda, can be obtained free of charge at Waterville and the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo – contains both information regarding how to rid your garden of invasive plants as well as tips for replanting with endemic species. 

The Plant Finder Guide contains lots of helpful information regarding the best method and time of year to propagate each species http://www.gov.bm/sites/ default/files/plantfinder-april-2016.pdf . 

The post Landscaping with Endemic Plants appeared first on RG Magazines.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer found in women in Bermuda, and this year there is an ambitious goal.

“We have a mammography machine that is coming to the end of its life,” explained Deborah Titterton Narraway, CHC’s chief marketing and fundraising officer.

“The breast cancer walk and everything we do in October will go towards that.”

October’s events usually raise around $200,000. The goal for this year however, is $400,000.

While a lot of fundraising happens during October, it is only one month in a busy year full of events. These include the Relay for Life, AXA XL Man on the Run 5K, MOvember Bermuda, St Baldrick’s and a host of other initiatives driven by organisations and individuals who have either been affected by cancer themselves, know someone affected, or simply care.

CHC has no government funding, but it receives insurance reimbursements. There is, however, no co-pay and no patient is turned away if they are uninsured or underinsured.

“No one should have to pay for their cancer care. They should be focused on wellness, not how to pay for something,” continued Ms Titterton Narraway. This is why their fundraising initiatives are so crucial.

Each year, the centre raises around $1.6 to $1.8 million, $1.1 million of which is restricted to the Equal Access fund. This fund covers care costs for those not adequately insured. Ideally, however, the annual sum raised needs to be $2.5 million.

“That would cover equal access, plus our education and wellness programmes, which are not fully funded at the moment. We run them anyway,” she explained.

“What that would leave us is any revenue we make off our clinical services, we could be investing in the future.”

Like the mammography machine, other valuable equipment needs to be replaced from time to time. There are also unexpected costs: for example, if a machine is not working, that patient has to go abroad for treatment instead.

“All we need is one hiccup with radiation therapy,” she said. “We have been very fortunate that our machine has stayed up and running.

“But, should a hurricane cause an issue, whether you can no longer physically access the building or we are without electricity for more than a certain period of time, we would be putting people on airplanes and sending them to Boston.

“For those who are not insured, we would cover all that. That would change our cash flow tremendously. We try and keep a healthy reserve for that.

“Every piece of equipment has a life span. Our radiation machine is coming towards the end of that life span. We will have to replace that equipment.”

They have also outgrown their building and need to acquire more space.

Most of the funds raised come from the community and this is why their events are so crucial.

“When you look at our events, that’s all peer to peer fundraising,” explained Ms Titterton Narraway. “We get people to register for the event. They’re the ones who go out and host fundraisers or send their URL to friends and family.”

The largest fundraiser by far is the Relay for Life, which takes place in May. This year, nearly 5,500 people helped to raise more than $800,000 and Ms Titterton Narraway puts its success down to the fact that it involves the whole community.

“Cancer doesn’t discriminate and cancer doesn’t sleep, which is why it’s an overnight event. It effects everybody, from families, community clubs, businesses.”

The guests of honour are the survivors, which makes it particularly poignant, especially as many have previously keep their cancer diagnosis to themselves. 

“Every year, we’re surprised at the number of people who come in and say they don’t know someone with cancer. We ask them why they’re there.

“It’s a community event and they keep coming back now, year after year, because they may have walked in the gate not knowing someone with cancer, but when they watch the people who walk the track and wear the survivor sashes, they’re usually surprised to see a colleague, a neighbour, who maybe hasn’t made it public outside of that event.”

Two more big events focus on cancers that affect men. The AXA XL Man on the Run 5k will take place on November 10 and MOvember, throughout the month of November. The latter is where men fundraise by growing a ‘MO-ustache or beard’ for 30 days. Last year, MOvember Bermuda raised more than $26,000 towards both the Equal Access fund and prostate cancer education and prevention.

2023’s AXA XL Man on the Run 5K raised over $36,000, which went towards free men’s health screening events, men’s health presentations and financial subsidisation for radiation therapy.

The CHC also works with the United States-based St Baldrick’s Foundation, which helps fund research into childhood cancer cures, and 10 per cent of the funds raised from Bermuda events stay on the island. Those funds go towards their SunSmart programme, which is primarily aimed at children.

While these large events make up the bulk of CHCs fundraising successes, there is a particular need for “unrestricted fundraising”, where funds can be used wherever needed, such as running costs or personal care products for patients. The Annual Appeal supports this. 

Whether it’s restricted or unrestricted funds, every little helps. Tiles can be bought for their Commemorative Tile Wall, women can host Girls Night In where the cost of a night out is donated, or you can simply organise your own fundraising initiative.

There are also very personal donations. Ms Titterton Narraway shared a story about a man who lost his brother to cancer: “They were avid golfers. He now donates $50 for every birdie he makes. 

“The donation doesn’t have to be big, but the continued support is what keeps us going.”

For more information visit cancer.bm 

The post Fundraising targets grow appeared first on RG Magazines.

Stoic, unflustered and routinely cool under pressure describes Arthur to a tee, so hearing that the brother I have known since our days patrolling the Eastern parishes together as constables on D Watch in the early 1990s has survived cancer – twice! – was not all that shocking. 

Of course Arthur survived cancer! Nothing can ruffle Arthur! 

Yet even a man who may well have an alter-ego from the planet Krypton has to pause and reflect when he hears the word “cancer” come out of his doctor’s mouth. Cancer, in any form, is the quintessential conflict of any narrative – and a certain turning point in every human story it has ever touched. For this man, that story began with a series of early morning nosebleeds in 2020. 

“This went on from February to March,” Arthur said. 

“I was having nosebleeds, almost daily, around 5.30 in the morning. One of my nostrils, pretty much every day, just blood coming out – and that’s not normal. That’s the body trying to tell you something. 

“I went to my GP and, eventually, I had to practically plead for a referral to a specialist, because he was trying to diagnose it himself. So, I got to go to an Ear Nose and Throat specialist, Dr Philip Bell, who was practising in Bermuda at the time. 

“From the scans they took, Dr Bell could see I had a blockage in my nostril that could be corrected with a routine surgery. By August, Dr Bell had removed about 80 per cent of the polyp that was blocking my nostril, but he had found something else as well. 

“When I went back to him for my check-up after the surgery, I noticed that he had this doom and gloom look on his face, like what he had to tell me would hurt him to say more than it would hurt me to hear. 

“That was when he sat me down and told me that the polyp they had found was not benign, but actually a rare form of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.” 

This diagnosis led to a whirlwind of treatment, including several trips to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston for more surgeries. The priority quickly became removing the remainder of the cancerous polyp before it had any chance to spread – the proximity to Arthur’s brain was a pressing concern. 

For Arthur, this was simply a call to do whatever he had to do to survive this disease – including 33 rounds of radiation at Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre after the experts in Boston cleared the malignant polyp out of his nostril. 

“That was the challenging part for me, because it involved being fitted with a mask that pressed down on my face – and I’m claustrophobic!” he said. 

“Every day from October to December, except weekends, I endured a half-hour radiation treatment session. I had to be bolted to a table: I couldn’t get up, I couldn’t even turn my head. But I got through it, because this was my life; and after the radiation treatment for 33 rounds, my scans came back clear.” 

Arthur’s most recent tests show that he is still clear of squamous cell carcinoma, and he said having a positive attitude and a small circle of staunch supporters were key factors that helped him through the entire ordeal. Cancer, however, was not finished with our hero yet. 

Fast-forward to 2022, and Arthur is shaken with another diagnosis. Scans during treatment for a bout of Covid-19 revealed a dark spot on Arthur’s diaphragm: a dark spot that would eventually be diagnosed as Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. 

“So, it’s back to the whole thing of, ‘How am I going to deal with this?’ Emotionally, it really messed me up – like, I’m here saying, ‘Why Me?’ I’m thinking I’ve got one foot going in the right direction, I’m getting pulled back, right?” 

At this point, Arthur had an opportunity to do a training course at the FBI Academy in the United States, and this proved extra motivation to get through this second major setback. 

Perhaps the most fortunate aspect of those taxing years was that both cancers were detected at an early enough stage to treat them effectively. 

“Both cancer diagnoses, luckily, were in the early stages, which is good. Well, it’s not good to say that you have been diagnosed with cancer, but it’s good to catch it early so treatment can start.” 

Radiation treatment began on the Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in late 2022. By April 2023, Arthur was able to attend his FBI training course. 

Of course, the doctors advised Arthur to go easy on physical activity, as radiation takes a heavy toll on the body – but he trod on. 

“I got through my FBI training course, physical activity and everything. I managed to get through it. Didn’t ask for any favours, did everything that was expected of me – so I graduated from the FBI Academy in June 2023, and here I am today.” 

Talking to him, you get the impression that Arthur is prouder of graduating from the FBI Academy last year than he is to be a two-time cancer survivor. That’s who he is though – a rock who has always made it a priority to serve Bermuda. He even said that he faced his first diagnosis more as “Arthur the police officer than as Arthur the human being”. 

This steadfast sense of duty and devotion to those closest to him served him well during his cancer journey, which still isn’t finished. He has been clear of squamous cell carcinoma for four years now, and the Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma has been dormant for over a year. Unfortunately, the Lymphoma tends to return – but he will be ready if it does come back. 

If you see Chief Inspector Arthur Glasford on the street, wish him well, and ask him to show you the S he wears under his white uniform shirt. 

The post Journey of Duty and Devotion appeared first on RG Magazines.

Yet for all the success stories, each case of terminal cancer is a painful reminder that we still have so much further to go. 

Some aggressive cancers seemingly appear from nowhere in previously healthy people – and by the time the warning signs appear, it’s too late. 

For clinical oncologist Dr Chris Fosker, this is one of the harshest realities of cancer. 

“Globally, cancer care has improved dramatically over the last 50 years or so,” said Dr Fosker, the medical director at the Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre. 

“If you go back to the 1970s, about 50 per cent of cancers diagnosed were curable. Nowadays, it’s about 70 per cent. So, seven out of ten people diagnosed with cancer today will be cured. 

“Even if it’s one of the aggressive ones, if you catch it early, you can cure it. But that does still mean that three out of ten people diagnosed with cancer will pass away because of their cancer. 

“That is obviously the tougher part of treatment. It’s the tougher part of conversations.” 

Between 450 and 500 cancers are diagnosed in Bermuda every year; about 120 to 130 people die from cancer annually, which is a lower mortality rate than Europe, Britain or the Caribbean, according to recent statistics. 

“But if you or your family are just one of those people, then that doesn’t matter, the stats don’t matter. The individual person is what really counts in that sense,” Dr Fosker said. 

Aggressive cancers include melanoma, pancreatic and glioblastoma, but Dr Fosker pointed out they don’t always behave in the same way; sometimes traditionally aggressive cancers can be slow growing, while traditionally unaggressive cancers can misbehave. 

Every year, a handful of patients in Bermuda arrive at the doctor’s office with aggressive cancers that can only be treated with palliative care. 

“By the time we have got in a position to talk about the treatment, the treatment intent is to try to help quality of life rather than cure the cancer, and often just trying to make a short period of time as valuable as possible.” 

This means the patient and their family face incredibly tough choices. 

“There is nearly always some form of treatment,” Dr Fosker said. 

“I find myself often saying this isn’t a curable cancer, but it’s a treatable cancer. It’s not very often I find myself saying there is nothing we can do. 

“It’s remarkable how some simple things can make a difference. For people who are feeling really breathless from cancer, actually just putting a fan on reduces that breathlessness.” 

Dr Fosker’s job is to educate patients and their family about their options. 

“Their choice might be do nothing. Their choice might be to go for the aggressive treatment option because it may buy you two more weeks,” he said. 

“It’s not for me to say necessarily what’s right or wrong, it’s for me to help that person understand what those choices are and the impact they have. 

“It’s about trying to figure out, in that moment, each step of the way, what’s the best next step. Doctors have a huge body of literature about what we’re taught to think is right or wrong, but what I’ve really learnt over my career as an oncologist is that I can never put myself in someone else’s shoes.” 

Glioblastoma, a type of cancer that starts in the brain, for example, can be tackled with chemotherapy and radiation that might have significant side effects. 

“I’ve absolutely no idea what I would do if that was me or one of my loved ones, because you’ve got a good chance you will make them live longer, but you’ve also got the same chance that that length will be less good quality. 

“Who is it to say that three months of good quality is better than nine months of poor quality or vice versa? 

“Someone may be diagnosed with a really nasty cancer where everyone tells them, really sorry, your time’s really short, and then here they are a year later still going. 

“And then you have the other ones, who still are not curable but we’ve got a gentle chemotherapy with a 95 per cent chance of improving quality of life – and then they pass away two days later. 

“It’s the uncertainty that just makes the decision so hard.” 

PALS Cancer Care, which supports cancer patients and their families throughout the whole process, are “brilliant listeners and brilliant thinkers” in helping people make decisions that might seem impossible, Dr Fosker said. 

Looking to the future, the oncologist noted that treatment continues to improve, with advances in fields such as immunotherapy, DNA research and radiation technology. These advancements are providing new hope and options, but he warned there will never be a magic bullet that wipes out cancer. 

So what can people do to make sure their cancer gets spotted before it’s too late? 

Sadly some cancers, such as pancreatic or glioblastoma, are nearly always found at an incurable stage because they are silent until they have spread to such an extent they cannot be cured. 

But there are still things you can do to help yourself. 

“We know men in particular are terrible at going to see the doctor, and they will ignore symptoms until the 11th hour,” Dr Fosker said. 

“So you can live better, and you can also be more responsive to signs and symptoms that happen within the body. 

“If the doctor tells you told to come back in a month but if in two weeks time you feel awful, advocate for yourself and return to the doctor immediately. Don’t wait for the month. 

“Take control of what you can. All cancers are curable, if you can catch them at stage 1 or stage 2.” 

While cancer treatment has made significant strides, Dr Fosker said early detection and patient empowerment remain crucial. 

“Leading a healthier lifestyle and undergoing regular screenings can make a significant difference in outcomes,” he said. 

The post Tough Choices appeared first on RG Magazines.

Ywione Darrell and Daniel Osset, both 21, have had academic and scholarship successes, but they have also endured disappointment. No matter what, they never lost sight of their goals and have viewed every outcome as beneficial life experience. 

In order to put their experience to good use, and give back to Bermuda, the two school friends, and Saltus alumni, established a free-of-charge tutoring and university mentoring service, Longtail Learning, in March 2023. 

“The way it works is we do our tutoring over the summer and then try to help people apply to university. Then scholarship applications start opening up around January,” explained Mr Osset. 

A priority for the scholarship programme is to make them more visible: “We’re trying to tell people there are all these scholarships out there. Most of them are not academic based. Most of them are need based. Also, just apply to them. 

“A big part is people saying I’m not going to win, so I shouldn’t apply. But, even if you don’t get the scholarship, you get that connection with a business in Bermuda.” 

Sharing his own experience, Mr Osset admitted he didn’t get any of the scholarships he applied for in his first year, but when he applied second time around, he was awarded the AXA XL scholarship: “When I applied second year, all the scholarship committees knew me by name, they recognised me from the year before and I can still reach out to a lot of those people and ask questions. It’s always good to know people in Bermuda.” 

Mr Darrell was awarded the AXA XL scholarship first time around. “There’s no hard feelings,” laughed Mr Osset, who has just entered his final year studying Finance at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. 

Mr Darrell has just completed his Bachelor’s of Science and Political Economy at Kings College, London and is about to begin his Masters of Science in Economics for Development at Oxford University. 

Other university students who also formed the founding executive committee of Longtail Learning include wellness officer, Mackenzie-Kohl Tuckett, Madison Smith, who does marketing and outreach, middle school co-ordinator, Gabriella Medeiros and iGCSE coordinator, Skye Oliveira. The university mentoring programme is run by Angel Seaman. 

Inspired by the experience of his younger brothers, it was Mr Darrell who first suggested the idea of Longtail Learning: “I went to Paget Primary and I had a lot of support from my Aunt growing up, and so I never really struggled that much in class,” he explained. “But, for my younger brothers, especially my youngest who needed a reading support teacher, my Mum can’t afford that sort of support. For me, that was my driving motivation. 

“Whenever I see an issue like that, my immediate thought is not just how can I help out this individual in my family, it’s like, I know there’s other people in that situation and I want to create some sort of structure or institution that can help them through that predicament.” 

While mostly ‘staffed’ by fellow university students, Longtail Learning has also received support from the (re)insurance industry. For this year’s tutoring service Lockton Re, Mosaic and Arch Capital either hosted or provided tutors. 

The university programme begins with a summer boot camp to get applicants thinking about which university they want to go to, and in the Fall, Longtail Learning mentors studying similar degree subjects help them with the application process. Past mentors have included people studying for degrees in nursing, psychology, political economy, business and finance, English and even someone training to become a commercial pilot: 

“That really speaks to the essence of what the programme is about,” said Mr Darrell. “It’s not about funnelling people into one area of Bermuda’s economy. It’s about promoting Bermudians to be the best in their fields, because, if you bring those skills back to the island, that might be the next crucial juncture for us to start a new industry in something.” 

Their advice for Bermuda’s students? “Research and apply to as many scholarships as you’re eligible for, or remotely interested in,” said Mr Osset. “For university, look for something that you’re passionate about,” added Mr Darrell. 

For more information about Longtail Learning visit https:// longtaillearningbda.weebly. com or follow them on Instagram @longtaillearning 

The post Students helping students appeared first on RG Magazines.

Storm Gibbons and Veronica Swan-DeGraff, who each benefited from a one-year $15,000 BHB General Scholarship, are in their first year of study at St George’s University in Grenada, West Indies. 

Q: What got you interested in medicine? 

SG: In high school I knew I liked science, I knew I liked working with people, but it didn’t help to narrow it down much. I was in quite a severe bike accident at 16 that left me in a wheelchair for about half a year so, as you can imagine, I spent a lot of time in the hospital with the doctors, with the nurses, with the physical therapists and I got to observe all the different roles within a healthcare team. I just really gravitated towards the role of the doctor. I enjoyed seeing the way they played detective and worked with other team members to put pieces of a puzzle together and come up with a diagnosis and a treatment plan. 

VS-D: My primary female figure is my grandmother, Elaine Butterfield, who was a nuclear medicine technologist at [King Edward VII Memorial Hospital] and manager of Diagnostic Imaging for several years. When I was in middle and high school, I was a candy striper and later on, a volunteer in the Continuing Care Unit in the Activities Department. So I kind of grew up in the hospital and that’s why I chose a career in medicine, because I really loved to watch my grandmother in the healthcare space and then later on got to be a part of it through volunteering. My grandmother’s career has kind of moved on. She now works with non-profits. She was executive director of the Women’s Resource Centre, executive director of the Centre on Philanthropy [and chairperson of the advisory board of the] Transformational Living Centre. Her whole life has been modelled around helping others, serving others. I feel like that also contributes to why I want to be in healthcare. 

Q: Was the BHB application process easy? 

SG: For my bachelor’s degree, I received the Ministry of Education Award, which paid for everything, fortunately. So, I knew what to expect. When I came home after [my bachelor’s degree] I started working at Dignity House, which is a psychiatric facility. I worked there and spent 90 percent of my time outside of work just applying for medical school. I found out a few months later that I was accepted to St George’s University and I applied for every [scholarship] that I saw. 

VS-D: I’m big on networking and some of the individuals in the [interview] room I had previously met, so I felt very comfortable. I thought [my interview] went extremely well. I also felt I had the upper hand [because I was] working at BHB and some of my mentors were doctors at BHB. When you’re going through the interview process or the application process, you need a letter of recommendation, and one of my letters was from a BHB doctor. It was very comforting. 

Q: Advice to medical students now applying for scholarships? 

SG: Bermuda is small and [offers] a great opportunity to work with doctors. Just getting my foot in the door at the hospital, getting to know as many people as possible, whether that’s doctors or people in HR that have been great mentors, networking as much as I can [has all helped]. 

VS-D: They should definitely do their homework. I shadowed doctors, I shadowed nurses, I literally sat in on their days and tried to figure out if this is something I really want to do. I got the opportunity to shadow an ER physician and I absolutely loved it. I’m happy that I took the time to do that. Medical school is so stressful. I’m grateful to have mentors who instructed me, who told me how hard it was for them. I’m grateful for that honesty. Decide how bad you want this, decide what your financial position is, and then I would say, go for it. Usually, I start preparing my scholarship applications in January. I have a whole file of personal statements, cover letters, letters of recommendations, resumes that I’ve kept over the years through my undergraduate applications as well, and it makes the process easier every year. I stay on top of my resume all the time, and I have people I trust, who I can send it to to edit. 

The post On course for a career in medicine appeared first on RG Magazines.

Ms Sapsford is studying for a PhD in Maritime Affairs at World Maritime University. Her focus is on the internationally renowned Sargasso Sea. 

“I chose to study the Sargasso Sea because I have always been enchanted by it. We are lucky in Bermuda to get to experience the ecology of the high seas right on our doorstep. We have whales and sharks swimming past our shores, and high seas animals often wash in with Sargassum seaweed on our beaches. I spend a lot of time beachcombing. I started to look through Sargassum for critters – you can find shrimp, nudibranchs, and even the Sargassum frogfish hiding within. Many of the animals you find are endemic to Sargassum mats, and are adapted to live their whole lives on the high seas.” 

Her enthusiasm for ocean conservation is palpable, and her future plans involve continuing her important conservation work: “I plan to fully engage with international organisations connected to the conservation of the ocean. I would like to continue living in Bermuda and engaging with marine environmental protection here and internationally.” 

Ms Sapsford is aiming high with her conservation work, but how will this benefit Bermuda? 

“My work will give me greater understanding of how the governance of the high seas can be most effectively achieved – how we can work with stakeholders, and the existing legal regime to put measures in place, how they can be effectively implemented, and, to some extent, how they can be monitored and enforced. They relate specifically to Bermuda because our waters are so fundamentally connected to the Sargasso Sea, ecologically and economically. I’m also interested in gaining knowledge and learning lessons from the conservation of the Sargasso Sea specifically, which can aid in the conservation of other high seas areas.” 

Ms Sapsford’s philosophical approach to protecting Bermuda’s natural environment is something that must have made her stand out amongst other 2023 BZS Steinhoff Scholarship applicants, as it lines up perfectly with the BZS ethos. 

“Part of the BZS mission statement is to ‘inspire appreciation and care of island environments.’ This is something I feel I have really taken on. Sometimes I wish I was a scientist. But my work now is really intertwined with communications and international law. You can’t value what you don’t know. If we are asking people to conserve the marine environment, the first step is getting them to identify with it, care about and relate to it, and if done effectively I think this inspires people naturally to protect it. This is something I think about a lot with the high seas – we often feel cut off from the high seas, like they are so distant that they don’t matter – but they touch each one of us, especially in Bermuda. A big goal for me is to make people feel as enchanted with the high seas as I do, and thus feel inspired to protect it. 

“I started a science communications Instagram account, Sargassogirl, in 2021 with this ethos, and that helped me get a job at the Sargasso Sea Commission, and led me down a path to what I’m doing now.” 

Her educational journey had always been enriched with engagement in BAMZ programmes which, logically led her to the conservation journey she is currently on. Ms Sapsford advised future BZS Steinhoff candidates to never limit themselves, and always show their passion. 

“Something I was so thankful to the scholarship committee for was seeing my passion and drive, and potential to succeed in conservation, despite my lack of academic background in the field. So, my advice would be to devote yourself to what you are truly interested in, and don’t be put off from applying even if your formal academic background at first doesn’t seem to match up. In my experience, the process was more about the entire picture of the candidate, and I was so grateful for that approach.” 

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Linda Down is head of boat sales at PW Marine and has spent most of her adult life getting people out onto the water safely, and in a boat they are comfortable with. She talked us through everything you need to know about buying and maintaining the best boat for you. 

BUDGET 

One of the most common mistakes first-time buyers make is not understanding all the costs and facts before they “dive in”. 

If you are looking for a brand-new boat, the lowest starting price, she said, is in the region of $45,000. 

That could get you a 13-foot Boston Whaler. “That’s the smallest in our line-up, turnkey,” she added. 

Turnkey means the boat is registered, inspected, clean, fuelled-up, has anti-fouling paint on the bottom, the warranties are in effect, and all the safety gear is on board. Literally, all you need to do is turn the key. 

In addition to Boston Whalers, PW Marine also sells Pursuit Boats, Tiara Yachts, Valhalla Boatworks Boats, Sea Rays and Viking Yachts, all of which come in a variety of sizes, the largest being the Vikings, which range from 38 up to 90 feet. 

If the cost of a brand-new boat is out of reach, you can try the second-hand market. PW Marine can help there too, as long as it’s a boat they know. “We tend to only represent the boats that we service so we know the history of them,” said Ms Down. 

While the cost of a pre-owned boat depends on a huge number of factors, particularly age and condition, she estimated that $45,000 could probably get you a 20-foot boat while a second hand 13-foot Boston Whaler could potentially be scooped up for about $20,000. 

If you are buying a pre-owned boat directly from the seller, and aren’t familiar with boats yourself, she recommended getting advice from someone who is, “to avoid the headache of buying something that isn’t what it appears to be.” 

ONGOING COSTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

When budgeting for boat ownership, you also need to account for the ongoing maintenance, storage, servicing, registration, insurance and other costs that keep your boat afloat. 

Registration: When your boat arrives in Bermuda, or if you buy a second-hand boat, you must register it in your name with the Department of Marine and Ports Services. Registration must be renewed each year, between April 1 and May 31. The fees are determined by the boat’s length. 

SERVICING: 

Boats have to come out of the water annually to be serviced. At PW Marine, continued Ms Down, “we power wash and repaint the bottom, we do the engine service, we put wax on the sides of the boat. Any customer issues, or things that need to be addressed are done at that time.” 

INSURANCE: 

Unlike cars, by law, boats don’t have to be insured, but Ms Down highly recommended it, especially if your boat is new. If you keep your boat in a marina, however, she said, “they always have a liability clause so you have to have liability insurance to a certain value in case you damage someone else’s boat.” 

Storage: Part of the equation of buying a boat is finding somewhere to keep it. PW Marine has their own marina but, at the time of writing, it was full, with a waiting list. If you are buying a boat from them, Ms Down will reach out to others in the industry to help owners find a good spot: 

“To make your boating experience fun, you really want to have easy access to it. It needs to be convenient. If you’ve got to jump on a dinghy and row out three miles to get on your boat, it’s not going to be as convenient.” 

HURRICANE PLAN: 

Every owner needs a plan for their boat when a hurricane comes. “All marinas will have a mandatory evacuation so you do need somewhere to put the boat,” warned Ms Down. If your boat is moored in protected waters and tied down correctly, that might be OK, as long as another boat doesn’t slam into it. PW Marine offers a hurricane haulage and storage service for their clients. 

THE FUN STUFF 

Once your budget has been determined, the fun can begin. What size and type of boat are you going to get? 

Ms Down’s first question is what the customer’s expectations of boating are and after that she discusses the layout and configuration based on what they want to use it for. “There’s centre consoles, dual consoles, there’s boats with cabins, there’s boats that are set for mostly cruising and recreational. For most of them, you can add on fishing features,” she said. For boats with manageable wakes, a tow bar for water sports is also a fun option. 

If you want to go outside the reef, Ms Down recommended a minimum boat size of 20 feet. Some buyers have also chosen to add seakeepers, which, she explained, “stabilise the boat so it takes that rocky motion away.” This is useful when fishing offshore or if you suffer from motion sickness. 

Last but not least, every boat needs a name. This can be simple or fun. Maybe you could ‘Seas the Day’ or ‘Sea Ya Later’. The odd ‘Usain Boat’ has also been spotted. If you spent more than you planned, maybe ‘Bankrupt Sea’? 

SAFETY 

Back to being serious, Bermuda is open water and the weather can turn quickly. Ms Down recommended that anyone new to boating here should take a local boat handling course. These are offered at the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. 

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Thousands of spectators lined the streets of Hamilton for the Lindo’s Grand Prix last summer – the first of its kind in six years – while many more have been regularly entertained at the Bermuda Karting Club National Championships at the Rubis Southside Raceway.

For karting legend Scott “Skitchy” Barnes, it’s brought back memories of the glory days when the four local motorsports – karting, motocross, bikes and powerboat racing – formed a backbone of family culture.

“Bermudians love racing. That’s what we grew up on. They are always popular sports for the spectators,” Mr Barnes said.

Founded in 1976, Bermuda Karting Club is two years away from its 50th anniversary. More than 50 drivers raced the last season and Mr Barnes pointed to strong junior classes indicating rising levels of interest.

“Any time you can have a club in Bermuda that can last 50 years is a big thing for a small country. It’s only gotten stronger and better as the years go by,” Mr Barnes said.

“In the heyday in the late 1990s, we had 100 drivers, but karts were a lot cheaper back then. To be almost as strong now, when everything is twice as expensive, says that it’s a sport people are passionate about and care about.

“I love the fact it’s a family sport. You have a lot of fathers and sons get into the sport, even daughters – I think that’s the coolest thing about Bermuda karting. It’s only one person driving, but you need a pit crew, you need people to help you, so it’s a sport that can bring the whole family together.”

Some of today’s racers have worked their way through the ranks after joining the Karting Club’s junior cadets aged 7 or 8.

“It’s funny watching some of our 23-year-old drivers now,” Mr Barnes said. “Just in the last 20 years it’s been cool to watch these kids grow and evolve and come up through the classes.

“There are some father and son duos: their dad used to race, their grandfathers used to race, now the kids are grown up and racing themselves.”

The Karting Club has been in a rebuilding phase since being temporarily shut down by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the spectator base has grown back to about 100 on Clearwater race days.

As president last year, Mr Barnes prioritised a Grand Prix to take the excitement to Hamilton, with a new circuit around Court Street, Dundonald Street and Princess Street.

More than 5,000 people turned out to watch the action.

“It felt great to have another Grand Prix,” Mr Barnes said.

“It was exciting to take it to a different part of Bermuda and it’s always a crowd pleaser. The street races bring out the best in the drivers and they bring out the spectators. You are literally ten feet from the cars zipping past at 80mph. There’s nothing quite like a street race in Bermuda.

“I’ve been racing for 20-plus years, I do the biggest street race in America every Labour Day weekend. That race in the US doesn’t pull the spectators like we do here in Bermuda.”

Six riders from North America came to Bermuda for the Grand Prix.

Mr Barnes said: “They all said it’s our spectators that make our event so awesome and so different. To pull that many spectators is pretty cool.”

Mr Barnes stepped down as president as he prepares to get married, but hopes another Grand Prix is in the offing.

“We were looking forward to building off last year’s success,” he said.

“I really hope next year’s committee pushes for a Grand Prix. They’re good for the club, they showcase the sport, spectators and Bermudians love them. I really hope we can make it an annual event.”

In the meantime, speed fans should head east to Clearwater.

“You’ve got action-packed racing, you can get up close and personal with the drivers in the pits for only $5,” Mr Barnes said.

“Grab lunch and come and watch a few hours of exciting racing. You’ve got the beautiful beach right across the street, so you can make a day of it with the family.

“It’s a cheap day, it’s a few hours of excitement and it’s a family sport.”

Mr Barnes, has won a record 21 titles, including two national class titles at last year’s National Championships, and has made a name for himself in the United States where he has claimed a host of victories.

For anyone thinking about joining the sport, he explained where the passion comes from.

“I started racing when I was 11 and jumped in a kart for the first time,” he said.

“I loved it then. I loved the adrenaline and I loved the competition. I love going fast, I love being bumper to bumper with other karts.

“When I jump in a kart, I forget about the stress of life. Whatever stress is going on in your life, during that 15-minute race, the only thing you’re thinking about is driving that kart.

“It’s everything. It’s my passion.”

Anyone who wants to get involved in karting can contact the Karting Club through Facebook or Instagram. Junior rental karts are available for children to try out, before parents decide whether to invest their money.

“Come down to the track on race days and meet the people,” Mr Barnes said.

“Everyone is friendly down there. People are willing to bring new people into their camps and help them out when they first get started. It’s a very welcoming club.”

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