The National Trust for the Cayman Islands, which celebrates its 20th year this year, is the only organisation in the Cayman Islands to preserve and protect natural environments and places of historic significance for future generations in the Cayman Islands.
Through the National Trust’s education programmes (now in all schools) the Trust has been making a valuable contribution in teaching young people to grow up valuing not only the material things in life, but also our natural world, which, if we take care of it, will give us clean air to breathe, fresh water to drink and wild places to enjoy.
Because of the National Trust we now know more about our trees and plants, our birds, animals, bats and butterflies as well as our historic buildings and sites. The Trusts’ many education programs are making us aware of what is uniquely Caymanian, but also how fragile this heritage is, as we see our natural habitats and our historic sites and buildings disappearing.
Hopefully educational programmes such as the Trust offers will convince young people of the value of looking after places of environmental and historic significance.
While education is vital to future actions, the Trust is working to make sure there is protection now for our natural environment and historic sites.
Although we have no Government system of protected areas in the Cayman Islands in perpetuity, or any protection for historic buildings, the National Trust has always felt that preserving habitats was of utmost importance, and through private donations from local companies and individuals, it has focused on acquiring environmentally and historically important land and sites. It now owns land in the Mastic trail, in the Central Mangrove Wetlands, Governor Gore’s bird sanctuary, the Booby Pond in Little Cayman, and the Brac Parrot Reserve, to mention some areas, and work continues to try to protect important and valuable habitat.
The latest National Trust historic programmes project was to restore and rebuild the Mission House in Bodden Town. All land owned by the National Trust is protected in perpetuity for the enjoyment of people in the Cayman Islands and can never be sold.
For these sometimes thankless tasks, I hold the National Trust in high esteem, and congratulate the dedicated staff for a true commitment to the future of these islands.
Janet Walker
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