Landowner puts conservation ahead of condos
(CNS): A local landowner who was intending to build condos on a plot beside the Governor Gore Bird Sanctuary in Spotts-Newlands has instead sold his land to the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. Fabian Whorms (not the CEO of Cayman Airways) had been denied planning permission due to technicalities, but instead of resubmitting the application after learning of the possible negative effects, he changed his plans.
“I am happy to contribute to the preservation of the future of these islands through the efforts of the National Trust to maintain the natural wetlands offering habitats for birds and other wildlife and wish them every success,” he said in a release about the expansion of the important habitat and a rare choice on the part of a developer in these islands.
The National Trust used money from its Land Reserve Fund to buy the site, which is largely mangroves and “an ecologically significant parcel of land” next to the sanctuary, in order to both expand and further protect the pond at the core of the much-loved spot.
Some of the donations were made through Island Offsets, a local non-profit that helps individuals and businesses compensate for their unavoidable carbon emissions through local mangrove protection projects in the Cayman Islands. When offsets for mangrove protection are purchased through Island Offsets, the money goes into the Land Reserve Fund and is set aside specifically for local mangrove purchase by the National Trust. This is a clear demonstration that this model can help the increasingly desperate need for much more land here to be protected.
“Grand Cayman has already seen significant mangrove destruction,” said Cathy Childs, Environmental Programme manager for the National Trust. “The western side of the island has lost more than 70% of this critical ecosystem and deforestation is spreading rapidly eastward. We cannot afford to lose more wetlands, making this purchase especially significant.”
She explained that by working together with sponsors, international partners and local landowners, more can be done to protect Cayman’s “irreplaceable natural areas”.
Mangroves act as a carbon sink, sequestering massive amounts of carbon in the trees and soil, she explained. Healthy mangrove ecosystems also help the community adapt to the effects of climate change by protecting us from stronger storms, working like a sponge during flooding events, creating rain in times of drought, acting as a fish nursery and increasing our food security, and cooling the island to mitigate extreme heat.
Named after Cayman’s former Governor Michael J. Gore, the freshwater marshes of the Spotts-Newlands area are a roosting, feeding and breeding habitat for over 60 bird species — a quarter of all birds native to the Cayman Islands. During the dry season, this may be the only substantial body of fresh water for some distance. Other species found here include hickatees, native butterflies, the endemic freshwater mosquito fish Gambusia xanthosoma, and the elusive Tretanorhinus variabilis lewisi, an endemic subspecies of water snake.
Childs said that small, suburban parks like this are essential for the community. Easy access to nature is now understood to be a necessity after Covid-19 lockdowns. When people are able to visit a natural area in their daily lives, they are more likely to value wilderness protection in general, and this protected pond is used and enjoyed by residents and visitors on a regular basis.
Earlier this month, the current governor, Jane Owen, hosted a reception on behalf of the Trust to recognise and thank the land fund donors for their help in acquiring the land. The Trust also relies on small donations to fund critical ecosystem protection. In this case, it was also to thank the landowner who agreed to forgo his development plans in favour of protection.
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Category: Local News
I wish to thank both the NTCI and Mr. Whorms, for doing the right thing. Wish more people would do the same, because God don’t make anymore land.
Thanks Fabian. I must say that no where in the comment section have I saw any thanks to the CPA. We are all quick to beat them up but not quick to express thanks. Wow!
wow…and everybody misses the part where it was denied planning permission …for a reason
I too would like to thank Fabian. In reading all comments I never once see anything to say thanks to the CPA for refusing this application. We all bash CPA for everything we believe they do wrong but never for right. What a place we live in
No-one is interested in a greenwashing agenda for the CPA and the Minister who want to waste public funds at Privy Council challenging another government authority who are primarily concerned with protecting the public interests over private interests.
THhank you Mr Whorms for putting our culture first!
Hi CNS, can you do an article on Island Offsets … I’ve never heard of it before this article
CNS: We did an article a couple of years ago – here. The website is here.
This could be us but…
thank you Mr Whorms
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-66922735
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66974697
Good Lord, we have been so desperate for some good news. Thank you Mr. Whorms. Bless.
I offered 100 acres in the Central Mangrove to the National Trust and said they wanted it but didn’t have the money around 2013. I offered through the National Conservation group again 3 yers ago they never contacted my family, SO I sold it to a large developer. The problem is the environmental people don’t have money. So why complain ??
Maybe money shouldn’t be your sole motivation. Must be nice to sit back and count your investment dollars while the world burns.
You and the rest of these commenters think Mr Whorms gave it to them for free?
4.15pm Make Mr Whorms a National Hero, except that without planning permission exactly what would a pile of swamp be worth?, probably less than what the National Trust offered.
Development is not allowed in the Central Mangrove Wetlands. To do so will create an uninhabitable future.
“… so I sold it to a large developer.” Didn’t have any money or didn’t have enough to pay what you wanted? Too many times landowners think they deserve 10 times market value and then say oh guess you can’t afford it. If you even compromised the money grab a little you probably could have come to an agreement and done something special for the country. But NOPE. Greed wins. Again.
Mr. Whorms…..you are a GOOD man. Thank you.
Thank you Fabian for putting Cayman and future generations ahead of development.
wetlands = swamp
mangroves = bush
We need the bush and the swamps. Go read a book then plant s tree somewhere.
Books are made from dead trees. Prove me wrong.
Your thumbs mean nothing.
Good on and thanks to all concerned, especially the landowner.
Thank you Mr. Whorms, from the bottom of my heart!
A heartwarming story. Good job Mr. Whorms and National Trust. This makes me love this Little Rock more.