NASSAU, BAHAMAS — In recognition of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated on February 11, the New Providence Ecology Park (NPEP) welcomed FEM STEM Bahamas for an exclusive tour of the landfill.
FEM STEM, a youth-based nonprofit organization, aims to educate, empower and equip high school girls to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics opportunities.
The group of girls ages 13 to 18 explored the transformed 160-acre landfill and learned about sustainable waste practices, how NPEP diverts different types of waste from entering the landfill and the business opportunities that can emerge from the waste management industry.
At the site tour held on Saturday, February 6, FEM STEM Founder and President Tyrhonda Glinton noted “the remarkable transformation” made at the landfill in recent years.
Glinton founded FEM STEM in 2019 to provide opportunities for local girls interested in STEM, given the significant disparity of women compared to men in STEM fields.
“What drove me to create this organization is my sister, who is a biochemistry major. Additionally, I was involved with a pageant, and one of our contestants was an engineering major, but she could not find an organization to promote her platform,” stated Glinton.
FEM STEM promotes case studies and project-based learning to achieve its mission, giving its members first-hand exposure to STEM disciplines.
Glinton continued: “When I learned about the initiatives here at NPEP and how this organization is transforming the dump and repurposing many of the things we discard, I wanted more young people to learn about the options that exist and understand how they can be involved in the process.”
Led by NPEP Engineer Bently Higgs, the tour showcased how NPEP is systematically transforming waste management on New Providence. The landfill is now equipped with specified areas to divert green waste, glass, construction and demolition debris, cooking and motor oil, flares and small batteries. The FEM STEM group witnessed first-hand how NPEP converts organic materials such as cardboard and green waste to mulch and soil and repurposes glass for use in roads and building blocks.
NPEP Director Ginny McKinney shared: “Agri-waste, green waste and food waste are the most volatile materials that end up in a landfill. The process of being buried and squashed by the large machinery and then covered with fill creates an anaerobic environment that produces methane and other gases. If these gases are not captured, it builds up and can start and then contribute to the intensity and duration of landfill fires.”
Sixteen-year-old FEM STEM member Alethia Pratt remarked: “From this tour, I gathered that there are many benefits of properly managing waste, especially organic waste, which can be reused in other industries and can also be developed into an industry to help us diversify our economy and better our country.”
NPEP’s educational objectives include specific initiatives to drive home the importance of separating green or garden waste from other trash.
McKinney shared: “Education is our main objective. As we continue to roll out more sustainable ways to manage waste, we are relying on the public to join us on this mission and separate their hazardous waste as needed so we can create a more sustainable environment for us all.”
NPEP has managed the landfill since March 2019. Since then, NPEP has transformed what was once an “open waste” dumping ground into a clean, safe and organized park, 100 percent compacted, capped and contained.
