The Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute’s (BUEI) ‘Island SOS’ presentation on Sunday,
August 6th at 3:00 pm, will explore the significance of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
for environmental management and mapping with a talk from Lavern Ryan.
Running monthly, the ‘Island SOS’ series aims to highlight innovative sustainable ocean
strategies from islands around the world. Each ‘Island SOS’ talk focuses on a singular island
nation and topic, exploring ideas from sustainable events to shellfish restoration.
Passionate about the use and application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Mrs. Lavern
Ryan founded her company LRR Geospatial Consultancy with the aspiration of sharing the
benefits of GIS with a wider audience. She is also a GIS Manager within the Ministry of
Agriculture, Land, Housing, and the Environment, on Montserrat and has been working in the
field of GIS for almost 20 years.
Lavern continues to advance the application of GIS on Montserrat by making significant
contributions in the areas of census mapping, disaster response and mitigation, environmental
management, land management, and marine spatial planning. Given her keen interest in
disaster response, Lavern also volunteers for MapAction – a UK-based humanitarian mapping
charity group.
Mrs. Ryan’s work will interest locals, especially in planning and mitigating the effects of natural
disasters and land management. “As our climate continues to change as a result of human
impact and the use of fossil fuels, we are excited to hear more about the work of Mrs. Ryan
and how GIS has had a positive impact on her community,” says BUEI Spokesperson.
Each ‘Island SOS’ takes place live for an in-person audience at BUEI’s Tradewinds Auditorium
with our overseas guests presenting via video link.
Tickets for BUEI Talks: ‘Island SOS’ are $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Students
with a valid ID are FREE. To become a member, head to our website at www.buei.bm and click
on Join and Support. Sign up as a BUEI Member today and enjoy this lecture for free! Tickets
can be purchased on the events page of BUEI’s website or by phoning our Oceans Gift Shop on
294-0204.
BUEI Talks: Island SOS is made possible by the generosity of Chubb, the exclusive sponsor for
the series
