"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

The words of American anthropologist Margaret Mead yesterday conveyed BEST's congratulations to campaigners and members of the public who rallied to save Southlands from development. At a picnic party to celebrate the reprieve of the South Shore estate, the Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) said it would keep up the pressure on Government to officially designate the 37-acre greenfield site as a national park.

Announcing the relocation of the proposed Jumeirah Southlands resort to Morgan's Point a month ago, Premier Dr. Ewart Brown said it was "most likely" that Southlands would now become a national park.

There have been no further announcements as yet as to Government's plans on the issue.

Yesterday, BEST congratulated all those who took part in the campaign to save Southlands, with a party in the Botanical Gardens. Chairman Stuart Hayward suggested the land could become part-parkland and part-nature reserve, with the beachfront as national park and the area north of South Road classed as a nature reserve.

"We're eager for Southlands to become a protected area — a combination of parkland as well as nature reserve," he said. "The decision on Southlands was announced a month ago, and so within another six weeks we feel we should see some kind of plan about what is going to happen in the area."

Mr. Hayward said: "We understand this is a delicate process.

"The land swap is an entirely new set of circumstances, so we want to allow whatever room that process needs, without outside pressure. But if after time passes, there is no announcement, then we will make more assertive requests.

"We will be writing to the Premier asking to be engaged with Southlands, and we will plan our next action based on his response. If there is a genuine feeling to engage the community, then we want to be part of that. We would hope that our experience and expertise would be engaged in the process."

Mr. Hayward said that BEST would also act as a watchdog on the revised plans for Jumeirah Southlands at Morgan's Point, as well as any other future development applications.

"The proposed development at Morgan's Point is twice as large as the original, so we are keeping an eye on that," he said.

BEST is also to restructure to strengthen its role. Following legal advice, Mr. Hayward said it may become a non-public limited liability company with a board of directors.

"We are restructuring so the organisation has permanence," he said. "This will ensure the kind of sustained effort that is needed to keep sustainability high on Bermuda's agenda."

Advocacy workshops "to build the capacity of grassroots activism" and increased awareness of sustainability in the community are other goals.

Mr. Hayward added: "We will also be looking at ways to influence policy.

"This was the success with Southlands — we influenced the policy and as a result, Southlands has been saved. So we will be looking at more avenues for that kind of influence.

"We will be looking at areas we feel should not be subject to development, and will alert the Government to land we feel should be purchased as parkland."

Commenting on the quote by Margaret Mead, he said: "The people who supported BEST's efforts were part of that change, that influence which has protected Southlands, and we are eager to engage more and more of Bermuda's citizens in this wave of sustainability."

Nine-year-old Kayla Tavares, of St. George's, who obtained more than 500 children's signatures on a "kids-only" petition to save Southlands, said yesterday: "I'm very excited Southlands has been saved. My friends and I are all more aware of protecting open spaces from development now."