This 14 March 2020 video from the Cayman Islands says about itself:
Blue Iguana Fights Extinction and Wins!
On this episode of On Location, Mark and the crew are in one of the most remote parts of Grand Cayman Island to meet a lizard that was brought back from the brink of extinction! The Blue Iguana is one of the most beautiful and rarest iguanas on the planet. Meet Peter, a true ambassador for his species!
Get ready, you’re about to see a blue iguana that fought extinction and WON!
This 2016 video says about itself:
Join researchers from the Reef Environmental Education Foundation and the Cayman Islands Department of Environment as they study one of the last great reproductive populations of Nassau Grouper. Normally a solitary species, during the winter full moons Nassau Grouper travel, sometimes over great distances, to “group” together and spawn. While most of the known spawning sites in the Caribbean have been fished out over the years, the west end of Little Cayman in the Cayman Islands is home to largest known reproductive spawning aggregation of this endangered species.
From the University of California – San Diego in the USA:
Collaborative conservation approach for endangered reef fish yields dramatic results
January 6, 2020
A new study from researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego has documented a successful recovery effort among Nassau Grouper populations in the Cayman Islands thanks to an approach involving government agencies, academic researchers, and nonprofit organizations.
The study, published January 6, 2020 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, used a two-pronged approach including tagging and video census data for monitoring and counting Nassau Grouper populations in an effort to more accurately estimate annual numbers of fish in the population and thus provide insight into the effects of ongoing conservation efforts. While many governments have enacted regional or seasonal fishing closures in an attempt to allow recovery of overfished stocks of aggregating reef fishes, this is one of the first studies to provide evidence that these measures can be successful.
“Normally, Nassau Grouper are relatively solitary, and tend to be hard to catch,” said Lynn Waterhouse, a former PhD student in the Semmens Lab at Scripps Oceanography and research biologist at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. “But at spawning, they come together en masse to form annual spawning aggregations, where historically tens of thousands of fish come together to reproduce, so they’re very easy for fishermen to catch.”
Due to overfishing during spawning, the species has suffered region-wide stock collapse. By the 1980s large aggregations had all but disappeared from the Caribbean region. Of the remaining aggregations, few contained more than 1,000 individuals and the species is currently listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
In 2001, an aggregation of around 7,000 Nassau Grouper was discovered near Little Cayman, the smallest of the three islands located south of Cuba in the Caribbean Sea. In 2003, the subsequent rapid overfishing of the aggregation drove the Cayman Islands Government to enact aggressive management policies by banning fishing at aggregation sites during the spawning season. Through the Grouper Moon Project, the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (CI-DOE) partnered with a citizen conservation group called Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) and scientists from Scripps Oceanography and Oregon State University to develop a monitoring strategy for the remaining Cayman Island aggregations.
“We developed a unique approach for monitoring these populations over the course of nearly two decades,” said senior author Brice Semmens, an associate professor and ecologist at Scripps Oceanography. “This included a combination of using mark and recapture tagging techniques to track the proportion of tagged fish and video transects to count fish across the aggregation.”
The researchers faced a number of obstacles, including funding challenges and particularly difficult monitoring conditions — the Nassau Grouper has the unfortunate habit of aggregating at inconvenient and often dangerous locations along the reef shelf edge, making it difficult for divers to easily observe and tag the aggregation. But with the support of the CI-DOE, the team has been able to maintain their monitoring efforts for over 15 years.
Importantly, the researchers did not just track the number of fish in the aggregation — they worked together with the CI-DOE and local communities to share results and discuss next steps. After reviewing the data being collected by the Grouper Moon Project, in 2016 the government initiated an even more progressive fishing policy, banning all fishing of Nassau Grouper during the winter spawning season along with limits on the number and size of fish that can be kept.
As a result, the team was astonished at how quickly the Nassau Grouper population recovered — over the last 10 years the aggregation on Little Cayman had nearly tripled in size, going from around 1,200 fish in 2009 to over 7,000 in 2018. This growth was due, at least in part, to a rapid increase in the addition of new, younger fish to the aggregation.
“This really demonstrates the power of this collaborative approach to conservation,” said co-author Christy Pattengill-Semmens, REEF’s director of science. “We were able to monitor the population and provide information to support management as the data came in, allowing the Cayman government to respond rapidly with policy changes.
“These efforts have been successful because of the strength of the partnerships among the government, academic research groups, and nonprofits,” she added. “CI-DOE also has a long history of working with fishing communities in the islands.”
The team also emphasized that these results show that patience is key.
“Due to the way these fish breed and the timing and location of spawning events, it can take several generations before the right ocean conditions ultimately facilitate young grouper joining an aggregation,” said Pattengill-Semmens. “This means that communities and governments may need to implement protection strategies over the course of years or even decades to meet their management targets.”
“This is an ideal approach for conservation,” said Semmens. “Just doing the science isn’t enough. You need to partner with groups and governments capable of turning science into conservation decisions that support the local community.”
This 6 October 2019 video says about itself:
Ten years after visiting Stingray City with famous marine artist Guy Harvey in 2009, Jonathan takes the whole family back to Grand Cayman for a follow up on Guy’s research!
This December 2018 video says about itself:
The Lizard’s Tale 101: Meet the Anoles
Anoles are small lizards with an abundance of charm. There are over 400 species of anoles, scattered all over the American and Caribbean tropics: from remote rainforests in the Bahamas, to busy cities on the mainland. In recent years, anoles have come to be viewed as a great model organism for understanding key evolutionary principles. They’ve helped scientists tackle many of the big questions in biology: from the links between ecology and evolution, to the effects of physiology and behaviour. The results are nothing short of eye-opening.
From the University of Plymouth in England:
Biological changes among invasive species
April 8, 2019
A remote island in the Caribbean could offer clues as to how invasive species are able to colonise new territories and then thrive in them, a new study suggests.
Scientists from the University of Plymouth have recently completed extensive research into a lizard population on the Cayman Islands.
Up until the mid-1980s, there had never been a recorded sighting of the Maynard’s Anole (Anolis maynardi) on Cayman Brac island despite it being less than 10km from its native territory, Little Cayman.
However, since the species was first discovered on Cayman Brac in 1987 — in what is thought to have been a human-assisted colonisation — its population has spread right across the 39km² island.
For this study, recent graduate Vaughn Bodden and Lecturer in Conservation Biology Dr Robert Puschendorf conducted a detailed analysis of the invasive species.
They wanted to assess whether individuals at the forefront of the invasion have developed distinct biological traits that are advantageous for dispersal, and compared their findings to animals in the area of first introduction and the native population on Little Cayman.
They discovered the Cayman Brac population has diverged morphologically from the native population, and within the invasive range there was trend of increasing forelimb length from the core to range edge areas. This ran contrary to the expected findings that longer hindlimbs would be the trait selected as a dispersal-related phenotype.
They also showed that the introduced population had lower levels of parasite prevalence, and that both males and females were of significantly higher body condition than the native population.
Writing in the Journal of Zoology, they say the results are a perfect example of how a species can colonise a new territory, and the biological adaptations it can make in order to do so.
Vaughn, who graduated with a First from the BSc (Hons) Conservation Biology programme in 2018, said: “There has been a history of lizard studies indicating that longer hindlimbs are an important factor affecting movement ability, so to not find longer hind limbed animals on the range edge was a surprise. For parasites, we found a clear decreasing trend in prevalence within the invasive population from the area of first introduction to the range edge, indicating that the parasites lag behind the host during periods of range expansion. We think our findings add to the growing body of literature that demonstrates the complex dynamics of species’ invasions. The results highlight that the animals on the range edge of an invasion are likely to be experiencing different ecological selection pressures that can result in changes in behaviour, morphology, and health for the animals.”
Dr Puschendorf has spent several years researching the consequences of emerging infectious diseases and climate change on biodiversity, with a particular focus on Central America. He added: “Biological invasions are an important conservation threat across the world. However, every invasion needs to be carefully investigated to identify impacts to native eco-systems and identify potential mitigation strategies. In this instance there is likely to be limited overlap with, and therefore a limited threat to, the endemic anole population — the Cayman Brac Anole (Anolis luteosignifer) — because one inhabit the crowns of trees while the other is found closer to the ground. This in some ways highlights the challenges biodiversity managers face when managing species invasions with limited resources, and emphasises the need for greater collaboration among scientific and policy communities.”
This 8 May 2015 video says about itself:
Arrow Blenny comes back from the verge of extinction in the Cayman Islands
Video of an Arrow Blenny on Little Cayman May 2015. The Arrow Blenny was almost extinct in the Cayman Islands at the height of the lionfish invasion several years ago and has made a comeback due to the efforts of regular community culling of the invasive lionfish. The first sighting of an Arrow Blenny on Little Cayman since its demise was in June 2014. They are being sighted more frequently now … This video was shot by Carl Arnoult.
From the Zoological Society of London in England:
Ancient mammal remains digested by [Cuban] crocodiles reveal new species
Cayman Island fossils reveal previously undescribed extinct mammals
March 4, 2019
Fossilised bones that appear to have been digested by crocodiles in the Cayman Islands have revealed three new species and subspecies of mammal that roamed the island more than 300 years ago.
An expert team led by international conservation charity ZSL (Zoological Society of London), the American Museum of Natural History, and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History studied the bones from collections in British and American museums including the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. The bones had been previously collected from caves, sinkholes and peat deposits on the Cayman Islands between the 1930s and 1990s.
Published in the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History today (March 4, 2019), the team describe two new large rodents (Capromys pilorides lewisi and Geocapromys caymanensis), as well as a small shrew-like mammal named Nesophontes hemicingulus. Fossil remains of the land mammal have been previously reported from the Cayman Islands, but have not been scientifically described until now.
The three mammals were unique to the Cayman Islands, existing nowhere else in the world. The scientists calculated that they would have probably become extinct around the 1700s, likely due to the arrival of European settlers and introduced mammals such as rats, cats and dogs.
Professor Samuel Turvey, Senior Research Fellow at ZSL’s Institute of Zoology, and co-author of the paper, said: “Humans are almost certainly to blame for the extinction of these newly described mammals, and this represents just the tip of the iceberg for mammal extinctions in the Caribbean. Nearly all the mammal species that used to live on these tropical islands, including all of the native Caribbean sloths and monkeys, have recently disappeared.
“It’s vitally important to understand the factors responsible for past extinctions of island species, as many threatened species today are found on islands. The handful of Caribbean mammals that still exist today are the last survivors of a unique vanished world and represent some of the world’s top conservation priorities.”
Animals described as “coneys” and “little beasts like cats”, which were probably the now-extinct rodents Capromys or Geocapromys, were seen and recorded by Sir Francis Drake when he visited the Cayman Islands in 1586. Despite the major marine barrier separating the Cayman Islands from other Caribbean lands, the extinct mammals described in this study are similar to those on Cuba, and other subspecies of Capromys pilorides still survive on Cuba today. The Cayman Islands may have originally been colonised by mammals carried across from Cuba on floating rafts of vegetation, which in some cases have been documented to float as far as 100 kilometres in less than a week.
Professor Ross MacPhee of the American Museum of Natural History’s Mammalogy Department, a co-author of the study, said: “Although one would think that the greatest days of biological field discoveries are long over, that’s very far from the case. With only one possible sighting early in the course of European expansion into the New World, these small mammals from the Cayman Islands were complete unknowns until their fossils were discovered. Their closest relatives are Cuban; how and when did they manage a 250-km journey over open water?”
The Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands consist of three islands (Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac) in the north-western Caribbean Sea, separated by significant deeps of nearly 2000m of water for more than 20 million years.
Though it is rare that islands are successfully colonised by mammals other than bats, this is not the case for the West Indies — or the islands of the Caribbean Basin. During the late Quaternary record (i.e., 0.5-1.0 million years ago) the islands comprised of nearly 130 different species, including sloths, insect eating mammals, ancient mysterious monkeys, rodents and bats.
However, due to the arrival of European humans, only 13 endemic mammal species now survive in the West Indies, along with 60 species of bat. Calculations from the study indicate that several species might have survived into present day if they had not suffered at the hands of man — altering their habitat and introducing exotic creatures over the last 500 years.
This 2017 video says about itself:
Green Turtle‘s Battle For Survival | Planet Earth | BBC Earth
From the moment they are born, these plucky Green Turtles from the Ascension Islands will face a huge battle to survive. Those that do survive, like their mothers did before them, will return to exactly same beach where they hatched.
From the University of Barcelona in Spain:
Green turtle: The success of the reintroduction program in Cayman Islands
At the limits of survival due human overexploitation
January 18, 2019
The reintroduction program for the green turtle in the Cayman Islands is crucial in order to recover this species, which are threatened by the effects of human overexploitation, according to a study published in the journal Molecular Ecology and led by the experts Marta Pascual and Carlos Carreras, from the Evolutionary Genetics laboratory of the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) of the University of Barcelona.
The new study, with its first author being Anna Barbanti (UB-IRBio), represents the first genetic study of the reintroduction project of this endangered species, and the wild population of green turtles in the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory.
According to the conclusions, the current wild population of green turtle in the Cayman Islands has been recovered as a result of the reintroduction process; it presents a high genetic diversity and shows no difficulties regarding breeding. However, the authors of the study recommend conducting a genetic monitoring of the species in this Atlantic Ocean region since it shows a differential genetic heritage compared to other populations of the Caribbean. Other participants in this study were Clara Martín and Víctor Ordóñez (UB-IRBio), and other experts from the University of Exeter, the Cayman Turtle Farm (CTF) and the Department of Environment of the Cayman Islands Government (United Kingdom).
At the limits of survival due human overexploitation
The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a migratory species globally distributed in tropical and subtropical latitudes -nesting beaches in the Mediterranean basin- which has been quite exploited by human activity. This species is the biggest one within the family of Cheloniidae -adults can weigh over 200 kg- and one of the species of marine turtles with a more natal phylopatric behaviour (it comes back to their birth place to lay its eggs). Factors such as marine pollution, loss of natural habitat, fishing pressure and bycatches endanger the survival of these turtles, classified as an endangered species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
During the eighties, overexploitation of the green turtle in the Cayman Islands caused the disappearance of nesting populations. To recover this endangered population, a program of reintroduction of the species was launched, with individuals of the Cayman Turtle Farm (CTF). Forty years later, data show that the nesting population of the Cayman Islands has been restored but researchers did not know if this was the result of the reintroduction process or the natural recovery of the population for the improvement of threatening factors.
In the new study, experts analyse several genetic markers to see the degree of parentage of the natural population of the green turtle in the Cayman Islands with the breeding individuals in the farm, and therefore evaluate the effect of the reintroduction process on wild population.
“In wildlife, genetic diversity is a key factor that eases the adaptation of populations in the natural environment and their tolerance to environmental changes. In this context, it is crucial to conduct a genetic monitoring of the reintroduction processes to evaluate their success and the potential consequences for the target species of the reintroduction,” says Carlos Carreras, member of the Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics of the UB and IRBio. “A threatened population -he continues- reduces their survival options due excessive inbreeding but a poorly planned reintroduction can have negative consequences because of the mix of genetically different beings, since they could create hybrids that are not feasible to the environmental conditions of the population.”
The population of the wild green turtle has a tight genetic relationship with the ones in CTF, the new study reveals. According to Marta Pascal, member of the mentioned Department and IRBio, “90 % of the wild individuals were related to the captive stock. This means the reintroduction process was very important in the recovery of threatened populations.”
The reintroduction process started in the farm with individuals of distant populations, and this explains why the genetic diversity of first generation turtles is higher than their parents’. This genetic diversity of the initial population has been changing as a consequence of the captivity process -as expected- but also because of the effects of the CTF population management. For instance, they use beings from the same cohort as reproductive adults to replace the losses hurricane Michelle caused in 2001, a strategy that has increased the degree of parentage among reproductive individuals in the farm. Therefore, scientific studies like the one in Molecular Ecology, are essential tools to take the right decisions in the management of threatened species.
Lights and shades in the reintroduction of endangered species
Current labelling studies show that there is a population between one hundred and one hundred and fifty reproductive female adults in the Cayman Islands. In this situation of biodiversity protection, the reintroduction programs for endangered species can become an effective tool of preservation but can also be inefficient, and can even have negative consequences for the threatened populations and natural ecosystems. “Therefore, it is essential to design these programs of reintroduction of threatened species with scientific rigor and to conduct a long term scientific monitoring to assess its success and the potential consequences for the species,” warn the experts.
The genetic studies carried out by the Evolutionary Genetics team of the UB and IRBio are part of the first scientific initiative to assess the global impact of the reintroduction of the species Chelonia mydas in the Cayman Islands from different sides: social and economic, commercial, and even gastronomic. This research study has been funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), as well as the Darwin project, with the support of Bosch i Gimpera Foundation (FBG) of the UB and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (United Kingdom).
New research is detailing how environmental stressors, including heavy metals, brought on by human activity are harming coastal green sea turtle populations — work that researchers hope will inform conservation efforts going forward: here.
This video says about itself:
17 March 2017
Jonathan visits the world-famous “Stingray City” in Grand Cayman with world-renown marine artist Dr. Guy Harvey to learn about Dr. Harvey’s research on Stingrays and how they cope with massive numbers of tourists.
JONATHAN BIRD‘S BLUE WORLD is an Emmy Award-winning underwater science/adventure program that airs on public television in the United States.
This video says about itself:
Snorkeling at the Coral Gardens in Grand Cayman Islands! 01-10-2013
The Coral Gardens are breathtaking and it is an experience like no other. The water is crystal clear with a tinge of blue/green that makes for the best snorkeling experience.
From Reuters news agency:
Billionaire Paul Allen’s yacht destroyed coral in the Caribbean – media
Last updated 14:58, January 29 2016
A massive luxury yacht owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen destroyed most of a protected coral reef during a visit to the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean earlier this month, media reported.
An anchor chain from the vessel damaged nearly 1300 square metres, or about 80 per cent, of a reef near two scuba diving sites in the West Bay, the islands’ environment department said, according to the Cayman News Service. …
At 92.42 metres, Allen’s five-deck Tatoosh is the 49th largest yacht in the world, and has twin helicopter landing pads, an observation lounge, and a gymnasium, according to BoatInternational.com. …
CNN reported that Allen could face a maximum fine of roughly US$600,000 ($926,000), not counting civil damages.
The Cayman News Service reported that divers surveyed the damage last week and that the environment department expects to issue its investigative findings next week. …
It also reported that the Cayman government has been unable to collect fines after a number of similar incidents over the last few years.
So, maybe billionaire Paul Allen will not only turn out to be ‘too rich to jail‘. He may also turn out to be too rich to pay a fine. Like other billionaires are too rich to pay taxes.
This video says about itself:
13 December 2012
Central Caribbean Marine Institute Research Divers on a scientific dive during a rainstorm; on this dive we were lucky enough to spot some juvenile squid under out boat when we returned to it. Divers are surveying Elkhorn Corals in Little Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies. We are between 50′ and 60′. The dive site is called Bus Stop and we are underneath a live-aboard boat of the Aggressor Fleet in Jackson’s Bay inside the world famous Bloody Bay Marine Park. This is what we do everyday on Little Cayman.
Little Cayman is considered one of the best dive destinations in the world. We have the most pristine Coral Reef Ecosystems in the Caribbean and one of the best in the World. Researchers and scientists come from all over the world to Little Cayman to get a base reading to compare the health of their reefs back home to. This is what we do everyday on Little Cayman.
Please Visit our website at www.reefresearch.org to learn more about us.
From the Cayman Compass:
Scientists explore secret of Little Cayman’s coral reef success
By: James Whittaker
30 December, 2014
What is so special about Little Cayman’s reefs? That’s the question a new $140,000 scientific study at the Central Caribbean Marine Institute will seek to answer.
Scientists want to determine why reefs around the remote island are thriving and whether there are lessons that can be adapted to help protect and maintain vital coral reef systems around the world.
The new study will look specifically at rare and endangered coral species around Little Cayman and attempt to determine why they are bucking a trend of widespread decline in coral reefs across the Caribbean.
An earlier study by CCMI showed that coral cover had been increasing around Little Cayman over the past five years.
The new project will focus specifically on evolutionary distinct and globally endangered species known as edge corals.
Dr. Kristi Foster, CCMI’s assistant director of research, said the aim is to determine the specific conditions present in Little Cayman that allow such corals to be more resilient to the threats facing reefs around the region.
“While elsewhere in the Caribbean reefs are in a state of decline, we are actually seeing an increase in coral cover. There is something special about our system here in Little Cayman,” she said.
“We are going to try to look at where we have hot spots of these edge corals and try to determine the environmental conditions that might explain why they are thriving.”
The study is partly funded through a $70,000 grant awarded by the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with the money coming from Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
Researchers will conduct snorkel studies around Little Cayman’s reefs, and scientists will combine the results of those surveys with temperature and atmospheric data.
The researchers will also consider Little Cayman’s relative isolation and how its small population and relative protection from overfishing and coastal pollution have affected its corals.
“The idea is that this project will help us develop a ranking system to identify which areas need higher protection, for example through Marine Protected Areas.”
She said the research could be adapted to help put protection plans in place for vulnerable reef systems in other parts of the world.
She said scientists working on the study, titled “Enhancing Capacity for Coral Reef Resilience Management in the Cayman Islands,” have already located several previously unrecorded pillar coral colonies and more than 50 colonies of staghorn and elkhorn corals.
She added, “This grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation enables us to compare the abundance and health of at-risk coral species to the habitats and environmental conditions where they thrive.
“As we learn more about the resilience of Cayman corals to bleaching, disease outbreaks, and other climate-related disturbances, we can improve ecosystem-based management and conservation.”
Scientists reveal which coral reefs can survive global warming: here.
Giving dead reefs new life with fast-growing corals: here.
Caribbean Economies Face Peril as Coral Reefs Decline: here.
This video is about turnstones on a Cayman islands beach.
From BirdLife:
Caribbean’s dry forest protection expanded
Wed, Jul 17, 2013
The National Trust of the Cayman Islands has acquired 8 more acres to add to the Mastic Reserve, bringing the total amount of land protected by the Trust in the Important Bird Area to 843 acres.
The reserve is home to all of Cayman Islands’ endemic orchids and forest birds including the Near Threatened Vitelline Warbler Dendroica vitellina, White-crowned Pigeon Patagioenas leucocepahala and Cuban Amazon Amazona leucocephala. It is additionally the main habitat for a critically endangered variety of Black Mastic tree Termenalia eriostachya var. margaretiae, which is unique to Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands (a UK Overseas Territory). Aiming to protect and rejuvenate a very rare habitat of great importance to Grand Cayman and its biodiversity, the Trust hopes to acquire a total of 1,397 acres, which will cost several million dollars, through additional fundraising for its Land Reserve Fund.
Established in 1992, the Mastic Reserve protects the largest contiguous area of old growth forest remaining on Grand Cayman. Representing some of the last remaining examples of the Caribbean’s lowland semi-deciduous dry forest and home to a unique variety of animals and plants, including all of Cayman’s endemic orchids, trees and birds, the Reserve has high ecological, scenic and ecotourism value.
The area of the Mastic Forest has been above water for more than two million years — as opposed to most of the island, which only emerged 125,000 years ago — so that is where the native flora and fauna evolved, noted National Trust Field Officer, Stuart Mailer. “It’s an island within an island,” he said.
According to “Threatened Plants of the Cayman Islands – The Red List” by Fred Burton, the variety of Black Mastic, Termenalia eriostachya var. margaretiae (named after Margaret Barwick), was once quite widespread on the island, but by 1800 it was thought to have been harvested to extinction for its ebony-like heartwood. However, it was rediscovered in the Mastic Forest in 1991.
The National Trust maintains the Mastic Trail, a traditional path that passes through the heart of the reserve. Guided nature tours of the Trail allow visitors to experience and appreciate this national treasure. The Mastic Trail was recently awarded a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2013, based on reviews by their members.
“The Mastic Reserve IBA is key to the conservation of Cayman Islands biodiversity. Preserving this land is vital in protecting our native plants and animals. The forest performs many other functions; it enhances rainfall and reduces run-off, helping to maintain our groundwater and protect our reefs and it keeps the island cooler; it removes carbon and pollutants from the atmosphere, and it provides locals and visitors alike with a unique opportunity to connect with nature,” said Mailer, who is a renowned Mastic tour guide.
Guided tours of the Mastic Trail are available Tuesday through Friday, and occasional weekends. For details on the National Trust’s Land Reserve Fund or guided Mastic tours contact info@nationaltrust.org.ky.
Dear Kitty. Some blog 