The 2005 Bermuda National Trust Awards ceremony was held last Thursday at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, with the Minister of Environment Neletha Butterfield in attendance.

A variety of groups and individuals were honoured for their work in enhancing and protecting Bermuda?s environment over the last year.

Purvis Primary Junior Rockwatchers, In Motion School of Dance and Bermuda High School (BHS) Year Seven community service programme all won awards in the schools category.

Purvis was recognised for environmental initiatives which included cleaning school grounds and growing plants for planting around the Island.

In announcing the winners, BNT executive director Steve Conway said In Motion School of Dance was selected for the trash-a-thon dancers and their families have conducted every year for the past eight years to raise money for their annual dance show.

?As many as 200 dancers, young children and parents of young children cooperate to clean an area of the Island,? Mr. Conway said.

Meanwhile, students from BHS Year Seven have, for the past two years, spent several afternoons at Waterville, the BNT headquarters on Pomander Road.

?Despite the pristine look of the grounds, the girls have managed to collect about eight trash bags every time they come, particularly from the mangroves where the plastics and trash flow in,? Mr. Conway said.

?The girls have helped to care for BNT property and learned about the importance of preservation. They have discovered that helping and caring for the environment can also be fun.?

The top award in the schools division, the Michael Darling Shield, is given in recognition of projects, programmes or initiatives demonstrating care of the environment or preservation of Bermuda?s heritage both natural and man-made.

This year BHS Primary School and Elliot Primary School shared the award.

?BHS Primary can be said to be a school that demonstrates a significant contribution to the care of the environment,? Mr. Conway said.

?The school has promoted environmental awareness through various activities which have included the creation of the Louisa Outerbridge Memorial Garden, a school vegetable garden and they celebrate Earth Day with an environmental science fair.?

And Elliot Primary School has promoted environmental awareness through a series of activities.

The students have tested a hydroponics kit to grow broccoli and cabbage, set up an Eco-club, and have a butterfly garden.

?Elliot is proud to be the first school on the Island to register as an Eco-school with a foundation for environmental education,? Mr. Conway said.

The top award for Youth Initiatives went to Omari Dill.

Mr. Dill works at the Earth University in Costa Rica and is studying for a degree in agricultural engineering.

Environmental Awards were also presented to Bill Mitchell, Harry Mitchell, Bermuda Garden Club, Andrew Dobson and Dr. Jamie Bacon.

The Patsy Phillips Bermudiana Award was presented to James B. Butterfield and Pitcher?s Landscaping for woodland conservation at Long Island.

Architecture Awards went to Edward Lawrence and Ted Wood, Kent Simmons and Charlita Saltus of Conyers Associates, Daniel Pacheco and Joe Correia.

Global Trust Company, Vesna Karlovic and Peter Terceira of Terceira Quarterly Architecture also earned an Architecture Award. Preservation Awards were presented to Bacardi International and Jill Bewsher while the Clipper Award was presented to Margie Lloyd, Diana Chudleigh and team.

The top award of the evening, the Silver Palmetto, was presented to Trustworthy Gift Shops for their long-term support of the Bermuda National Trust.