What few large, open spaces still exist in Bermuda, must be protected from development immediately or they will be lost forever, Conservation Officer Jeremy Madeiros predicted this week.

At the top of his Christmas wish list for conservation efforts would be Cooper's Island, he added: "It's like a huge Nonsuch. There is no place else in Bermuda like it."

But, if Government fails to take quick action to protect the island - which is located adjacent to Clearwater beach and until recently housed NASA facilities - the incessant tide of building in Bermuda will surely swallow it.

"Once you excavate and build, it's lost, it's gone," Mr. Madeiros said. "If we wait ten to 15 years it will be lost forever."

Mr. Madeiros would like Cooper's Island set aside as a protected park land and used as a complement to the ongoing Nonsuch project.

Cooper's could be restored in a manner similar to the living museum, (featured in Lifestyle, Page 41), which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, he suggested.

But, while access to Nonsuch is highly restricted and intended primarily for scientists, Cooper's could be developed as a powerful community outreach tool for residents and tourists.

At the moment, only a handful of tourists visit Nonsuch on tours run out of the biostation at a cost of $75 per person, he said.

And, although Nonsuch welcomes school groups and offers a vital learning tool, private schools have capitalised on its availability while most Government schools have not.

Mr. Madeiros said he believes the cost may again be a deterrent.

However, as Cooper's island is larger and easily accessed by road, it could be used to promote environmental messages on a far larger scale, he said.

"I think 90 percent of Bermuda's environmental problems could be solved if residents would recognise the importance of the environment, rather than simply viewing the Island as raw material to destroy as they see fit," Mr. Madeiros said.