Times of the Islands Winter 2022/23

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
CHRISTOPHER MAY
This mangrove island is found within Flamingo Pond on North Caicos. It is another example of the natural beauty found in the Ramsar site.
capacity building, public outreach, and biota tracking/
monitoring. The teams’ collective goals are to produce a
monitoring framework for long term studies, to expand
technical and scientific capacities within the country, and
to increase local and international awareness for social
backing in environmental causes. Historical changes and
meteorological data will be evaluated to provide evidence
for the more protective measures, and to support the
legal extension of the Ramsar site and nature reserve into
East Caicos.
In November 2022, ES team members visited TCI to
run the project’s first in-person workshop, which included
GIS satellite imagery manipulation training, several focus
sessions on different aspects of the Ramsar site, and an
exciting field day where five very different habitats in the
Ramsar site were visited, including pine rocklands, buttonwood
swamp, salina, dwarf red mangrove swamp, and
mangrove pond.
The DECR team members assigned and now well
trained to sample the Ramsar site have been steadily
involved in the creation of access trails, data sampling the
extents of the habitats, and expanding public knowledge
and technical capacities through workshops and outreach
activities. The recordings are documented and presented
to government officials to support the longevity of the
protection of these important ecosystems through legal
declaration and funding. Photographic and videographic
material is also generated to invite the public and tourists
a glimpse into the habitats, to increase awareness and
attachment to these key resources and wildlife.
The beauty and importance of TCI’s wildlife and
landscape should not be understated, nor should it be
neglected and destroyed. The ES and DECR teams have
worked to improve local understanding and appreciation
of the work being done. Two videos were presented at
the Turks & Caicos International Film Festival to share
with young students the wonderment and experience
of working within the environments. Several online and
in-person workshops have been conducted to provide
interdepartmental synergy and capacity building with
regards to data sampling and monitoring strategies using
maps. Photographs and videos have and will continue to
be shared to media outlets to invite the public to witness
the illustrious beauty of the Ramsar site and its irreplaceable
animals and plants.
The “Beautiful by Nature” motto of the country must
be reflected in the collective willingness to protect, conserve,
and preserve the environment, and the Darwin Plus
129 project is using technology to ensure that it is. a
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