Submitted by Brooke Gaenzle on the 2024 Winter CIEG program in Barbados…
Wrapping up study abroad has been a whirlwind! Between exams and labs, we were also experiencing and exploring the island. Some highlights have been gardening for the Bellairs Research Institute, where we are staying, and visiting Andromeda Gardens in Bathsheba. I was able to learn so much about gardening in Barbados and all of the plants able to grow and thrive here.
My coastal processes class also incorporated a lab report that focused on designing a coastal resilience plan for Six Men’s Bay of Barbados. We were able to visit the area and speak with the local fisherman, where I learned about the erosion the area faces and how the fish populations have been declining. There are also no fishing regulations! So my team set out to design a revetment system, paired with a breakwater and offshore reef to protect the beach.
Another highlight of the past week has been the live music! My classmates and I traveled up to Speightstown, where we saw the most beautiful sunset on the pier and then listened to the live band right on the water. It was amazing and so cool to hear songs we all knew, sung in a completely new way! The band played for 3 hours through the rain and my classmate even ended up singing with them!
Barbados has been so cool to explore and get to know and I’ll be so sad leaving it behind, thankfully I have a couple of shells to bring home. And lots of memories! (February 4, 2024)