The National Trust for the Cayman Islands has bought an untouched 14.4-acre parcel on Little Cayman which includes a rare area of marshland.
The trust’s Little Cayman District Committee announced the purchase of the “national treasure” in a press release on Tuesday, 3 Oct.
The land, in the Snipe Point area at the east end of the island, contains part of the sesuvium marsh habitat.
It is one of 10 distinct habitats found on Little Cayman, first listed by D.R. Stoddart following a joint Royal Society and Cayman government scientific expedition in 1975.
Much of the Cayman Islands natural interior is covered in dense vegetation including low scrub, mangrove forest or dry woodland.
Sesuvium marsh is one of the few naturally occurring open environments, other than water features, in the interior of the islands. The specific habitat is only found in this area.
As part of the evaluation process, Frank Roulstone, National Trust executive director, surveyed the parcel.
To do that, he had to make his way through cliff rock and thick bush filled with manchineel and poisonwood trees.
“I have never seen a place like this on Little Cayman or even in the Cayman Islands for that matter,” he said in the press release.
“I have heard about this area my whole life but only after talking with Patricia Bradley, who visited the area back in 1984, did I risk life and limb to see it for myself.
“It is most definitely a national treasure.”
A unique environment
The land was found to be in its pristine, natural state never disturbed by human activity.
It is dotted with small freshwater ponds, which are important to resident and migratory birds and as year-round fresh water sources for endemic Sister Islands rock iguana.
The endemic and rare Cayman Brac cactus and infrequently seen prickly pear tree were found on the parcel.
Gregory McTaggart, Little Cayman District Committee chair, said in the press release that direct access to the area is “frightfully difficult”.
However, it is located relatively close to several roads and an elevated observation platform off of one of these roads could be considered in the future, he said.
This would “provide National Trust members and the general public the opportunity to see this unique Little Cayman environment”.
The purchase was made possible partly through a donation of US$200,000 from Brigitte Kassa, National Trust member and longtime resident of Little Cayman.
It also was assisted by donors and bidders of the trust’s annual Easter auction in 2021 and 2023. Funds raised went to the Little Cayman District Committee’s Land Fund.
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