Tour of Nassau Historical Sites

IFS is proud to announce that we are now offering historical tours of Nassau/New Providence in partnership with Woodside Transportation. 

This trip is a great option for groups that have a late departure time from the Nassau airport on their way back to the US. The scheduled flights for your group from Andros to Nassau will arrive in Nassau around 8am or 9 am. If your departure flight to the US will be leaving after 2 pm, the Nassau tour will work well for your group and will provide ample time for the tour. We suggest that groups check-in for their international departure flight and check their bags with the airline before departing for the tour. The average length of this tour is between 3 and 4 hours long. 

The tour is quoted at a group rate. The price must be paid in cash to the tour director on the day of the tour. Payment does not go through IFS. Please contact our office for pricing details and help with scheduling this tour. The tour focuses on visiting a number of historical sites throughout New Providence and includes a stop for lunch (not included in tour price typically $15-$25 per person). The bus used for the tour has a capacity of 29 passengers and is driven by a licensed and insured professional driver. The driver will also act as your tour guide and will provide detailed information about each site you visit and many others that you will see while driving. They are very knowledgeable and are happy to answer any questions you may have. See below for additional details about the tour. 

To start the tour, your group will be picked up directly from the US Departures terminal at the Nassau airport.

  • The first stop of the tour is at the New Providence caves. This site is a long cave system with closed passage and there are usually many fruit bats flying around throughout the site. Your group will take around 15 minutes to explore the caves and your tour guide will provide detailed historical information.

  • Your next stop will be at Fort Charlotte. Built in 1788, at 100 acres in size, this is the largest fort on New Providence. Your group will have the option to view the fort from the perimeter or pay a small $2 fee to gain access to the Fort and explore the site on foot.

  • The next stop is at Fort Fincastle and the Queen's Staircase. This site can be viewed from the perimeter while still on the bus, or your group can pay an additional $5 fee to gain access to the Fort and explore the site on foot.

  • After visiting Fort Fincastle the next stop of the tour is at Fort Montagu. This site is the oldest fort still standing on New Providence and was built in 1741! Your group will exit the tour bus and spend around 15 minutes exploring the site on foot.

  • The next stop of the tour is lunch at Arawak Cay. The menu options include a meal with either chicken or fish fingers with fries or a hearty salad with fries. This stop typically takes place around 12:15 or 12:30 PM and your group will have reserved seating and access to onsite bathrooms. If you're interested in other dining options, please contact the office to see what's available.

  • When your group is finished with lunch, you will head back to the airport to check-in for your flight. The tour guide will plan to get you back to the airport around 2 hours before your flight departure.

The typical drive time for the tour is around 1 hr and 15 minutes total with a maximum of 2 hours if traffic is very bad. 

There is no required paperwork for you or the students to complete. If you decide to book the tour, they will have a driver in the area around 8 am and they will be ready to pick you up from the airport with just a few minutes notice.

If you're interested in receiving more details or would like to move forward with booking the tour, please contact the office

Androsia Scholarships 2023

IFS is dedicated to working alongside the local community on Andros and our larger global community. All programming is meant to pursue our mission of providing environmental education, scientific research, and cultural awareness through experiential learning. In addition to our programming, we aim to give back to the community and our students as much as possible to expand our impact and create equal opportunities for young scholars.

One of the main ways IFS gives back is through our Androsia Scholarship Fund. All profits from the local Androsia wares and IFS branded merchandise sold at Forfar Field Station go directly to the Androsia Scholarship Fund. In 2023, two $1,000 scholarships were awarded to two local Androsians.

The first $1,000 scholarship was given to Lavon Butler. He was the class Salutatorian and recent graduate of Huntley Christie High School. Here is his statement sharing his story and speaking directly to donors:

lavon butlet

“My name is Lavon Butler. I am a 16-year-old graduate of the class of 2023 of the Huntley Christie High School and Class of 2023 Salutatorian. I intend to enroll at Talladega College in Alabama this fall semester. While there, I will study and obtain a Bachelor's degree in Computer and Information Systems.After obtaining this degree I intend to become a software engineer where I can increase efficiency or manage networks or databases. As the digital world grows the need for computer scientists continues to grow. I also intend to bring my talents back to The Bahamas. I hope that I can make an impact toward the development and modernization of my country.” - Lavon Butler


The second $1,000 scholarship was given to Calvernique Marshall who is also a recent graduate of Huntley Christie High School and planning to become a meteorologist.

“My name is Calvernique Marshall, a recent graduate student of the Huntley Christie High School where I served as a senior prefect and placed fourth overall in the class of 2023. I am striving to become a meteorologist, and have taken various steps to achieve that goal. Currently, I am enrolled in the newly formed Meteorology Cadet Program and that has given me the necessary knowledge I need for my career. I wish to attend college/university in order to obtain my degree in science. After that chapter, I hope to return to The Bahamas and seek to become the first top female meteorologist in the country. I am committed to my goals, and expect great things from myself.” - Calvernique Marshall

Calvernique Marshall

Our Ben Bohl Scholarships

Here at IFS we are committed to increasing accessibility to marine science education for local Bahamians and US students. To see this committment through, we created the Dr. Walter ‘Ben’ Bohl Scholarship fund which directly supports both local and international students ability to attend field study experiences at Forfar Field Station. The scholarship was established to honor the many years Ben spent working for International Field Studies as the co-founder and Executive Director of IFS from 1970-2015.

Since 2020, we have been able to award $22,210 in scholarship funds and discounts to 24 students who otherwise would not have had access to our programs. Offering these students the life changing experience of spending a week at Forfar with their school or attending our Forfar Marine Science Gap Year Program is possible because of the generous support of our donors.

Highlights from our Scholarship Recipients

“Before the FMSP, I'd never been away from my family for more than 4 days. Now, I can't possibly imagine a world where I didn't go to Forfar -- I have to say it's one of the best experiences of my life to date.”

“My experiences at Forfar opened my eyes to what’s going on in our oceans and our environments . Learning and interacting with nature made me want to take saving the planet more seriously .”

“I want to thank you and the donors for granting me the scholarship money so that I could join in on this amazing and once in a lifetime experience. I had a wonderful time and was able to use what I learned during the lecture times in my competition piece (about ocean pollution) for school. I will forever hold the memories and the friendships that I made on this trip. Thank you again for helping me go on this trip!”

“During my six weeks I was able to gain more hands-on experience and knowledge about marine life, conservation and ecotourism. Being a marine student this experience will totally benefit me in the future. I am more than grateful that I was able to participate in this program!!”

“I worked 25+ hours a week all spring semester, so I cannot emphasize enough how much this scholarship meant to me and my family. In addition to that, my 6 weeks at Forfar were nothing short of amazing. Long term, I would like to work in marine animal rehabilitation and conservation education, so the FMSP gave me more insight into marine science that'll benefit my career, all while exploring both the land and water of Andros.”

A Sad Goodbye

The community of Blanket Sound on Andros recently lost two iconic women, Mrs. Margaret Princess Rolle Riley and Mrs. Merle Colebrook Conyers.

Mrs. Riley worked at Forfar for many years. After she retired, her children (Youterpy, Ricardo, Cordell, and Franklin) continued to work at Forfar and became an integral part of our Forfar family. Even her grandchildren have worked at Forfar including Kara, Randal, and Kelly. She raised amazing humans and we are profoundly saddened by the loss of her. May she rest in peace and those that held her dear find solace.

Mrs. Conyers worked many years at Forfar and her impact on the community and those that loved her will be felt and treasured for years to come. Many of you may have visited their family's shops down the road when getting ice cream or picking up sundries.

We grieve with the family and friends that miss them. To learn more about their lives you can follow the links to their obituaries.

Mrs. Riley’s Obituary

Mrs. Conyer’s Obituary

Mrs. Riley

Mrs. Conyers

Where are they now? Spotlight on our Previous Interns: Christian Schumacher

What dates did you intern at Forfar Field Station?

I was an Environmental Educator at Forfar from 2021-2022.

How did the Forfar internship benefit you in your current job or your future career goals?

My time at Forfar helped solidify my passion for sustainability and environmental outreach. Working with curious students and interacting with amazing Bahamian locals has pushed me in a career direction where I want to be involved with getting people excited and involved with environmental efforts. Going forward, I will be working at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency where I hope to put the experience and knowledge I’ve recently gained to good use.

What professional skills did you gain from the internship?

Working at Forfar allowed me to really develop my teaching and leadership skills. In a world where being able to effectively and concisely communicate your thoughts and ideas is so important, my time on Andros was invaluable.

What is the most memorable or favorite part of your Forfar internship?

A memorable moment that sticks out to me was my first time seeing dolphins. On a return trip from Joulters Cay, our boat driver, Franklin, spotted a couple dolphins in the distance, so we went off course for a closer look. As we approached, we realized that what we had thought were just 2 or 3 turned out to be a pod of 30. For the next half hour, we watched dolphins jump around, swim right up to the boat, and even jumped in ourselves to swim with them. It was truly a once in a lifetime moment that really encapsulated the natural wonder of Andros and The Bahamas.

Where is your hometown? Where are you living now?

I was born and raised in International Field Studies’ backyard, Columbus, Ohio. I’m back in Columbus for the foreseeable future while I start my full time career.

What job(s) have you had since your time at Forfar? What are your responsibilities in the role?

Since returning home from Forfar I have been working part-time with IFS in the Columbus office. In mid February, I will be starting full-time with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency as an Environmental Specialist in materials management and community outreach.

Any current hobbies or places travelled?

At the moment I’m trying to weather an Ohio winter after experiencing the year long summer that is The Bahamas. However, come spring, I’m looking forward to playing disc golf, tennis, and hiking. I’ve always enjoyed traveling to new places so I’m looking forward to planning a trip abroad with a friend this summer. I would also love to return to Andros at some point in the not so distant future.

Any other updates you would like to share with IFS?

Working with IFS and Forfar was one of the best experiences of my life and I’ve seen first hand the impact that a year or just a week on Andros can have on someone. Its ability to interweave fun and excitement with education and conservation has and will continue to inspire the next generation of young people in the environmental field.

End of Year Giving

Giving back to your community or to a cause you care about is one of the best ways to celebrate the holiday season. Donating to a nonprofit is a great way to have an impact and cause real change that you can see! If you’ve ever interacted with Forfar Field Station and International Field Studies (IFS), then you have probably seen the opportunities it has given to students and teachers around the world. See why your donation matters, why end of year giving is a great idea, and how you can donate to and support IFS.


Why does your donation matter? One of the many ways that a financial contribution supports IFS is through the Dr. Walter ‘Ben’ Bohl Scholarship fund. The scholarship fund directly supports local Bahamians, as well as, US students who want to participate in marine science education. This can be a life changing experience for someone who otherwise might not get the opportunity. 

Why donate now? 

  1. A donation to a worthwhile cause can also make a fantastic holiday gift for friends and family. If IFS has had an impact on you or your loved ones, then consider making a donation in their name as a quick and easy gift. It supports an organization that is important to both of you. 

  2. Donating to a nonprofit organization like IFS can earn you a deduction on your taxes! If you itemize your taxes instead of taking the standard deduction, you may qualify for a charitable tax break. Many employers will also match donations up to a cap. Consider checking with your employer to see if your donation could have double the impact. 

  3. Donations, especially around the holidays, are very useful to nonprofit organizations for planning ahead to the next year. They help provide the stability needed to maximize their potential in the upcoming year.


How can I support IFS? Donating to IFS is simple, head over to https://www.intlfieldstudies.org/donate to make a contribution. Direct donations aren’t the only way to have an impact, there are many ways to support IFS and Forfar Field Station. These include volunteering your time, donating items to the station, or designating IFS as your Community Rewards Partner through Kroger Rewards or through Amazon Smile.