A cadre of Bermuda College students ventured to the Bahamas this month for a sustainability stewardship trip.

The Bermuda College Eco Club, which works alongside a number of local environmental organisations, offered a helping hand on a series of initiatives in the Bahamas.

Amy Harvey, mentor for the club, said: “This trip was an amazing opportunity for the club as we got to collaborate with the University of Bahamas, collecting water samples from various sites around Nassau.

“They are testing for temperature, turbidity and nutrient load as they try to research sources and impacts of polluted water on eutrophication rates in the ocean.

“We also had the opportunity to partner with Bahamas National Trust where we helped to clean up an illegal dump in a mangrove forest at Bonefish Pond National Park, a nature reserve.”

Eutrophication is the process in which nutrients accumulate in a body of water.

Ms Harvey added that the group organised fundraising events to make it possible for more students to take part in the experience, and planted trees in Bermuda to help offset the carbon emissions of the trip

She said: “Students were amazing ambassadors, and we hope we will be able to explore future pathways with the University of Bahamas for Bermudians who may wish to continue their studies there.”

Kathryn Law, Eco Club president, said: “Eco club is important to me because it is a way for me to be involved in my community and spend time with people who all share a common goal of mending real-world environmental challenges all while having fun.

“The most memorable parts of the trip for me was cleaning a nature reserve with Bahamas National Trust because it felt good to make a difference.

“Also, the city tour was great as we all got to spend quality time together on the bus ride, listening to music all throughout Nassau.”