Land Habitat
Poaching of nesting turtles continues
(CNS): A nesting green turtle was lost to poachers at Sand Hole in West Bay recently, after the CCTV camera there was turned off for just over a month because of a lack of funds. As a result, the National Conservation Council has voted to move money set aside for turtle-friendly lighting to pay to […]
Gardeners asked to help feed the ‘blues’
(CNS): A change in landscape and development pressures have led to the loss of more than half of the wild spaces that used to provide food for the animals at the breeding centre, according to Blue Iguana Conservation, a National Trust for the Cayman Islands programme. As a result, a new initiative is being launched […]
Carbon offset plan to protect local mangroves
(CNS): The National Trust for the Cayman Islands (NTCI) has partnered with Island Offsets, a newly formed non-profit organisation, to enable companies to offset their carbon footprint locally through the Trust’s Land Reserve Fund as part of a project to tackle climate change globally while protecting local mangroves. Local companies, offshore entities domiciled here and […]
Plastic trash ‘endless and everywhere’, activists report
(CNS): A group of volunteers who engaged in a weekend beach clean-up in North Side on Monday have said that most of the garbage they collected was plastic and microplastics, which was “endless and everywhere”. Plastic Free Cayman organised the latest effort to keep Cayman’s beaches clean, joining up with Protect Our future and the […]
West Bayers fear loss of Barkers Beach
(CNS): Local non-profit groups, conservation advocates and activists in West Bay and beyond are joining forces to mount a focused campaign to save Barkers Beach and secure the location as a formally protected national park before the area is developed. Fears are mounting as development around the much loved natural beauty spot gathers pace and […]
WB wetlands immersed in plastic pollution
(CNS): Local activists are raising the alarm about pollution in the West Bay wetland area after they discovered this weekend just how much plastic is finding its way into the remaining mangroves in the Safehaven area. Plastic Free Cayman, which organised the clean-up to mark World Biodiversity Day on Sunday, were joined by volunteers from […]
Plant thieves steal rare orchid from Botanic Park
(CNS): Two chocolate orchid (Encyclia phoenicia) plants have been stolen from the Orchid Boardwalk at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, one of several thefts from the gardens this year, according to General Manager John Lawrus. Horticultural Manager Nick Johnson said he was saddened by the loss of the beautiful plants, named for its strong […]
Unlawful mangrove clearance under DPP investigation
(CNS): The Department of Environment has stated that it is investigating the unlawful clearance of mangroves in Red Bay with the help of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and is recommending that an application being made by the landscaping company that did the clearing for after-the-fact permission be held in abeyance until […]
Forest fire kills off 26% of endemic ‘Old George’
(CNS): More than a quarter of the endemic and critically endangered ‘Old George’ (Wittmackia caymanensis), a type of bromeliad plant, was destroyed in the March brush fire at the Ironwood Forest in George Town, the Department of Environment has revealed. Writing in the latest edition of the department’s bi-monthly magazine, Flicker, Jane Haakonsson, the editor […]
Regal Beach placing hope in seawall
(CNS): One of several luxury condo complexes on Seven Mile Beach facing significant beach erosion is placing hope in a new seawall, even though it is very unlikely to help. Work at the Regal Beach Club had begun using debris from the original wall, which was damaged by last year’s storms, as the base for […]
Surge of marsh mosquitoes expected
(CNS): The Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) is warning residents to expect another surge of the native black salt marsh mosquito as a result of the high tides that began last month and have caused flooding in the mangrove breeding areas of the swamp. Eggs laid around the time of the 20 April high […]
