In 1997 the Cayman Islands took another step forward in the formation of The National Trust.
One wonderful thing about its formation was the fact that the Government of the day agreed that this was something Cayman needed. I remember being very excited about the prospects.
I am proud to have joined as a Life Member at the very beginning.
The last 20 years have not been easy, in fact sometimes there were doubts of whether the Trust would survive; and it still struggles toward the day when it will be financially self-sufficient. But much has been accomplished and we can be proud. Land, sites and creatures of great significance to what it means to be Caymanian have been saved from oblivion.
The unfortunate part is that there are still people who don’t see the importance or necessity for the Trust. They don’t grasp the seriousness of preserving our past, of not allowing everything to be devoured by development. Who don’t understand that man has a spirit that needs to be fed by the surrounding of nature.
That an environment encompasses everything and that we are all linked.
That our past is important to the future – and who we are. That it is better to conserve now than to try to restore later on.
I hope the National Trust of the Cayman Islands will continue to grow and flourish. I hope that more people will recognise its importance and join and work to build the Trust.
I consider it a privilege and hope I have added something by the small part I have played in the Trust. I hope I have honoured, and will continue to honour, my ancestors with my efforts to preserve what they handed to me.
I wish to thank all those who have worked to make the Trust grow and survive; who have helped financially or ‘in kind’.
Andrea Bothwell nee Farrington
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