Education and government officials joined together to cut the ribbon on the first completed building of a new college field station in Old Town.
Simon’s Rock in Montserrat, which is being redeveloped from the former Belham Valley Restaurant, will become a remote arm of Bard College at Simon’s Rock.
The four-year liberal arts and sciences college based in Massachusetts, United States, provides an alternate education route for late high school students.
Lyston Skerritt, chairman of the Simon’s Rock in Montserrat Educational Foundation, told attendees at the event that it was a “momentous occasion” in the history of both the college and Montserrat.
He explained that the ribbon cutting was ceremonial as it was taking place on an active construction site, and building work is not expected to be finished until late July.
“However, this ceremony marks not just the beginning of a new venture, but the celebration of hard work, dedication and the power of collective effort,” he said.
Academic and research opportunities
Skerritt said the multipurpose facility, as well as being the Montserrat home of Bard College at Simon’s Rock, will be open to other educational facilities interested in learning trips.
Simon’s Rock in Montserrat will enable academic and research opportunities in a variety of subjects including ecology, biology, chemistry, geology, art, literature, music, poetry, and engineering.
Once construction is complete on the four buildings, they will house up to 18 students, and will include a cafeteria, laundry services and a teaching laboratory.
Skerritt said Dr Thomas Coote, a lecturer in environmental studies at Bard College at Simon’s Rock who applied for a job with Montserrat’s Department of Environment in 2012, was the ignition for the project.
Coote, who was next to address attendees, said: “To prepare for that interview, I learned everything I could about Montserrat, and then of course I didn’t get the job.”
Enamoured with the island, he approached the science division of the college and asked if the island could be a potential site for a tropical ecology and sustainability programme.
A successful story
“My first visit to Montserrat was in 2013, actually in May, basically 11 years, almost to the day,” Coote said.
“In January 2014, we brought our first group of students, great group of kids, 12 students, myself and my colleague, Bob Schmidt, and it was just a tremendous experience for us.”
The college has been sending students to Montserrat ever since, and is now on its ninth trip. Of a total of about 70 students, several have returned to continue their research.
“It has been really successful story, and I just want to say the reason why it’s been successful is because of the people of Montserrat,” Coote added.
Every year, the group has collaborated with the Department of the Environment, Montserrat National Trust, the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, and others.
The field station, he said, is the culmination of a vision that planners have been working on since 2017.
The college bought the property nine months ago, began cleaning it up eight months ago and began construction four months ago.
Most welcome
Environment Minister Crenston Buffonge told attendees that he “had to say yes” to the project, adding: “Anything that brings this sort of attention to Montserrat is most welcome.”
He said the college had chosen the best site with views “from the surf to the summit, it’s pristine beauty of Montserrat and what it has to offer us all”.
Montserrat is a good place for research, Buffonge continued, because of the island’s endangered and endemic flora and fauna, and its history of resilience.
He added that the development already shows the economic possibilities for Montserrat and “what could be done with a little bit of paint and some hard work”.
“Simon’s Rock… is a testament of what can happen when you put some money where your mouth is,” the minister said.
Minds and hearts
John Weinstein, provost and vice president of Bard College at Simon’s Rock, explained that the location of the main college, Great Barrington, shares many geographical similarities with Montserrat.
“But I think we share a lot more than our roads and our terrain, I think we also really share our minds and our hearts,” he said.
“I think they’re both places where people really love where they are, love the location that it is, and that inspires the thinking.”
Weinstein said that “to build a school you can build a country” and added that it is really important to invest in education.
The vice president added that there is so much to learn in Montserrat and “so many stories in every moment”.
He concluded by saying: “I think when we work together, we can really do things that we never imagined were possible.”
Following the speeches, Weinstein cut the ribbon on the newly renovated building and guests enjoyed food and drink inside.
Congratulations to the team who had worked so hard to make this dream a reality! Kudos to Tom, Lyston, John, and many others who have given their hearts and hands to this project!