2025 President’s Report of Activity

I am delighted to report on our achievements over 2025 and also to thank our donors and volunteers without whom none of this could have happened!

Importantly, we advanced our collaboration with the government’s Department of Marine Resources to set up a pilot co-management framework for the Fernandez Bay/Armbrister Creek/Joe Sound creeks Marine Protected Areas. Our mutual goal is to protect these eco-systems from man-made threats and abusive practices as well as encouraging sustainable and locally led tourism opportunities.

The “smart farms” are thriving at Arthur’s Town Comprehensive School, Old Bight High School and Old Bight Primary, with the students cultivating and selling their fresh produce to fund school projects. And, we launched a community composter program to reduce dependence on imported fertilizer and the related carbon emissions. About 30 composters have been distributed to volunteer composting centers near farms and restaurants with the compost to be shared between the schools and the farms.

Our recycling of aluminum cans continues under the leadership of Gabi Zimmerman and Mark Keasler and with the important partnerships of the Cape Mail boat and Cans 4 Kids in Nassau. This program not only keeps Cat clean but also keeps aluminum, a valuable resource, out of the dump and puts it back into the manufacturing cycle. In 2025, Cat Island United and our supporters recycled over 1,000 pounds of aluminum with aspirations to double that amount in 2026.

We are actively pursuing opportunities to develop local youth employment, with the vision to retain or bring back this vibrant demographic group back to Cat Island. We continue to encourage youth to develop local business ideas through the annual Shark Tank competition and are exploring the possibilities of developing a remote work centre on Cat Island.

We celebrated the music, native products, youth artwork and traditional crafts that make our home so special at the 12th annual Cat Island Earth Day Festival.

And, finally, we demonstrated our gratitude to the community at large by providing financial support to other community initiatives including the the Cat Island Marching Band, the Cancer Society and the Library at Bennett’s Harbor.

And, so will sign off again for this year with gratitude to our dedicated Board of Directors, donors, volunteers and subscribing members!