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RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. presented the Bermuda Zoological Society with a $250,000 donation in support of the science education and experiential learning programs offered through the Trunk Island Living Classroom.

The Company’s donation will be used to meet the infrastructure needs of the classroom and Trunk Island-based programs, including the purchase of new scientific equipment, computers and other learning tools. It will also support the funding of a classroom educator over the next four years.

Photo: Students from the Harrington Sound Primary School visit the Trunk Island Living Classroom during a celebration of RenaissanceRe’s donation to the BZS. Richard Winchell, 2nd Vice President, BZS; Wendell Ebbin, Member, RenaissanceRe Bermuda CSR Committee; Robert Qutub, Chief Financial Officer, RenaissanceRe; Adrian Hartnett-Beasley, Chairman, RenaissanceRe Bermuda CSR Committee; Dr. Jamie Bacon, BZS Education Officer; Fikrte Ming, Teacher at Harrington Sound Primary School; Dr. Ian Walker, Principal Curator, BZS; Colin Brown, President, BZS; and Leah Dean, SVP, Human Resources and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, RenaissanceRe.

“At RenaissanceRe, science and innovation help to drive our business. They also lie at the heart of what the Trunk Island Living Classroom is all about,” said Robert Qutub, Chief Financial Officer at RenaissanceRe.

“We believe it’s important to support causes that have a meaningful impact in the communities where we operate and that our employees are passionate about.

“When our former colleague Todd Fonner first brought the project to our attention, we could see how it could help Bermuda today and for generations to come. We are happy to work with the BZS to advance this exciting program.”

“RenaissanceRe has a long heritage of giving back to the communities where we live and work,” added Leah Dean, SVP of Human Resources and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at RenaissanceRe.

“As a company headquartered on the Island since our inception, we are proud to support the BZS and its commitment to enhancing the availability of science-related educational opportunities for all Bermuda students.”

“We thank RenaissanceRe and its employees for their generous support of the Trunk Island Living Classroom program,” added Colin Brown, President of the BZS.

“Through this program, we host over 8,000 student visits a year, with more than 60% of participants coming from our local public schools.

“We have received positive feedback from students and teachers alike that our programs are enhancing the educational experiences of Bermuda’s students. The support of corporate partners like RenaissanceRe enables us to expand our programming to reach more students each year.”

Slideshow showing Trunk Island in 2015:

To view the slide show please click here.

The Trunk Island Living Classroom is part of the Bermuda Zoological Society’s Capital Campaign for Education focused on safeguarding Bermuda’s beautiful and diverse habitats so that future generations can explore, touch, smell and experience nature as we can today.