New nature boardwalk for Little Cayman

The National Trust for the Cayman Islands has opened a new boardwalk at a protected iguana nesting site in Little Cayman. 

The boardwalk offers visitors a glimpse of the island’s pristine coastal shrub land off Preston Bay and has been dedicated to long-time National Trust supporter and Little Cayman resident Gladys Howard. 

Carla Reid, chairperson of the National Trust, said the completion of the boardwalk represented the culmination of a multiyear project to ensure the Preston Bay land was protected in perpetuity. The purchase of the land was made possible by donations and took more than a year to complete,” she said. 

“The completion of the purchase and this project is a testament to the perseverance of the Little Cayman District Committee and the generosity of this entire community,” Mrs. Reid said.  

Betty Bua-Smith, chairperson of the Little Cayman District Committee of the National Trust, explained that, although many people had contributed in a variety of ways to the completion of the boardwalk, Ms Howard had been a driving force behind the project.  

“The Little Cayman District Committee is proud of our accomplishments and that we are able to dedicate the iguana nesting site boardwalk to Ms Howard,” Mrs. Bua-Smith said. “With the strong leadership of Ms Howard, we are honored to see this dream fulfilled.” 

At an opening ceremony of the boardwalk on Dec. 27, attended by dozens of residents of Little Cayman, Ms Howard cut the red ribbon and officially opened the boardwalk to the public.  

“This is really an amazing accomplishment on behalf of the National Trust and for the preservation that we hope to continue on this island,” Ms Howard said. 

According to the National Trust, the land on which the boardwalk is situated has “extreme environmental significance as it is the largest communal nesting site for the endangered Sister Islands Rock Iguana, Cyclura caymanensis, on the western side of the island.” 

Female Sister Islands Rock Iguanas nest communally in five specific areas of Little Cayman, with the Preston Bay nesting site containing almost 40 percent of the total nests laid each year. 

Signs placed along the boardwalk explain the terrain and its flora, detailing which plants were important to early settlers.  

Mrs. Reid explained that the boardwalk will serve as an educational tool. “Many visitors come to the island and use this site for beach-combing and snorkeling and now we’ve been able to provide them with information about the iguanas and their habitat, as well as the turtles and sea birds that nest on the beach,” she said. 

She said minimal land had been cleared during the construction of the boardwalk and the raised platform allows the iguanas to move unhindered.