The Saint Lucia National Trust C-19 Relief Fund

The Saint Lucia National Trust, would once again like to thank you for your generous donations to our conservation campaign.  We are extremely thankfully for your kind donations which have allowed us to continue our ongoing conservation work. 

During this reporting period, The Trust rehabilitated one of the Turtle nesting beaches at the Pigeon Island National Landmark.  As part of the project, several Casuarina or Australian pine trees were removed. The Casuarina pine is a non-native species of tree introduced to Saint Lucia and Pigeon Island in the 1970’s. The roots of the Casuarina pine are known to create dense mats which prevent marine turtles from nesting. Trust staff have observed that this is indeed the case at the Landmark, with a considerable number of unsuccessful attempts by turtles – primarily endangered greens and critically endangered hawksbills. The Casuarina is also known to create sterile, acidic soils, that inhibits growth of other plants which effects the incubation environment and ultimately, hatchling sex ratios and hatchling success, particularly of the hawksbill turtle. Therefore, as a conservation measure and in keeping with recommendations from the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST), all Casuarina pines were removed from Beach No. 3. The wood from these trees were used to construct much needed park benches. As well, in order to create a wider beach for turtle nesting, and reduce death and injury of turtle hatchlings by vehicles, the coastal access road at the Landmark was realigned and moved further inland.

Although the Turtle nesting season is ongoing, we are already seeing an increase in turtle nesting activity and rate of successful nesting.

We are very thankful for the contributions received thus far and express our deepest gratitude to all our donors. Your support has enabled us to continue our efforts to conserve the critically endangered species of Saint Lucia. We hope that you will continue on this journey to conserve Saint Lucia's unique natural heritage.

The Saint Lucia National Trust, would once again like to thank all those persons who have generously donated to our campaign.  

With inflation rates increasing across the global, which in turn is further impacting the spiraling costs of goods and services caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Saint Lucia National Trust, as a small not for profit organisation, has not been left unscathed.  The increase costs of these goods and services, together with shortages and shipping delays  has had spin off effects on our operations and conservation work.  Therefore, we are extremely thankfully for your kind donations which have allowed us to continue our ongoing work at our various sites. 

During this reporting period, in addition to our regular site maintenance, we have continued with the clean ups of the 18th and 19th Century French and British Military sites vested in the National Trust. As well, the Trust is conducting research and monitoring in collaboration with local and international partner agencies, including the Forestry Department, Fauna and Flora International and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in the conservation of the world's rarest snake, the Saint Lucia Racer. This is a nonvenomous snake, endemic to Saint Lucia and although previously common on mainland Saint lucia, the introduction of rats and mongoose during the colonial era, lead to their extinction there.  They can now only be found on one of the small offshore islands, Maria Major, located in the south of Saint Lucia and the population estimate is approximately twenty individuals. 

Both the built heritage and natural heritage conservation of Saint Lucia, form intergral components of the Trust's work programme, as they form an important part of Saint Lucia's unique history and biodiversity.  

We are very thankful for the contributions received thus far and express our deepest gratitude to all our donors. Your support has enabled us to continue our efforts to conserve the heritage of Saint Lucia. We hope that you will continue on this journey with us as we work steadfastly to conserve Saint Lucia's unique natural and cultural heritage.

The Saint Lucia National Trust, would once again like to thank all those persons who have generously donated to our campaign.  

The lingering impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ongoing spiraling costs of goods and services exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, the price of oil and the impact of climate change, have continued to put a strain on the finances of the Saint Lucia National Trust, which in turn has had spin off effects on our operations and conservation work.  

Thankfully, your kind donations have allowed us to continue our ongoing work at our various sites. 

During this reporting period, in addition to our regular site maintenance, we are able to undertake intensive clean ups of the 18th and 19th Century French and British Military cemeteries, located at Morne Fortune and the 19th Century British Married Women's Quarters and Meadows Battery located on the Vigie Peninsula. Meadow’s Battery, was built in 1892 and is considered the best gun emplacement in Saint Lucia. The buildings which housed the Married Women’s Quarters was completed about 1900 and is an excellent example of 19^th century Military Architecture.

It is critical that these sites are maintains, as they form an important part of Saint Lucia's unique history and your kind donations are allowing us to do so.  

We are very thankful for the contributions received thus far and express our deepest gratitude to all our donors. Your support has enabled us to continue our efforts to conserve the heritage of Saint Lucia. We hope that you will continue on this journey with us as we work steadfastly to conserve Saint Lucia's unique natural and cultural heritage.

The Saint Lucia National Trust, would once again like to thank all those persons who have generously donated to our campaign.  

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has continued to impact the tourism sector, a glimmer of hope has been seen on the horizon, with increasing visitation to Saint Lucia and also to our flagship site, Pigeon Island National Landmark.  However, the increasing cost of goods and services caused by both the pandemic and the surge in oil prices caused by the war in Ukraine, has continued to put a strain on our finances, which in turn has had spin off effects on our operations and conservation work.  

Thankfully, your kind donations have allowed us to continue not only with the maintenance and upkeep of the Pigeon Island National Landmark, but also to assist us in the implementation of important programmes, such as our turtle monitoring programme and our offshore island monitoring programme.

During this reporting period, we recommenced our turtle monitoring programme in the south of Saint Lucia, at the Pointe Sable Environmental Protection Area (PSEPA), which is managed by the Trust.  We are happy to report that successful nestings of Green, Hawksbill and Leatherback turtles have been confirmed and we look forward to seeing the hatchlings in the coming months. Important biodata has also been collected for these species and untagged turtles have been tagged. Such tagging greatly assists scientists both regionally and internationally in tracking the movements of these species in the world's oceans and seas. 

We at the Trust has also continued our offshore island monitoring work at the Maria Islands, home to several endemic and endangered species, including the Saint Lucia Whiptail Lizard and the world's rarest snake, the Saint Lucia Racer. The islands are also an important nesting site for migratory bird species for the United States and Africa. 

It is ciritcal that these unique species are protected, as they form an important part of Saint Lucia's unique biodiversity and your kind donations are allowing us to do so.  

We are very thankful for the contributions received thus far and express our deepest gratitude to all our donors. Your support has enabled us to continue our efforts to conserve the heritage of Saint Lucia . We hope that you will continue on this journey with us as we  work steadfastly to conserve Saint Lucia's unique natural and cultural heritage.

The Saint Lucia National Trust, would once again like to thank all those persons who have generously donated to our campaign.  

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on travel and tourism and the increasing cost of goods and services caused by the pandemic and also the surge in oil prices caused by the war in Ukraine, continues to put a strain on our finances, which in turn has had spin off effects on our operations.  

Thankfully, your kind donations have allowed us to continue with the maintenance and upkeep of the Pigeon Island National Landmark, our flagship site.   During this reporting period we were able to reopen the Pigeon Island Interpretation Centre.  The visual interpreation of aspects of Saint Lucia's and Pigeon Island's history is of paramount importance, as it not only highlights aspects of our culture and heritage, but also brings into focus the different groups of people that occupied Saint Lucia and Pigeon Island at different points in history.  The interpretation centre allows patrons to immerse themselves in some aspects of Saint Lucia's history, including the Amerindian and European occupation periods, the 18th and 19th century battles that were fought over the island by the French and British colonial powers, causing Saint Lucia to be likened to Helen of Troy and so being called the Helen of the West and the fight for freedom by Saint Lucia's freedom fighters in the 18th Century.  Through your kind donations, the Trust is able to continue to work to protect and preserve Saint Lucia's patrimony for the enjoyment of all.  

We are very thankful for the contributions received thus far and to date, through your donations we have received $US$4,189.91 ( £ 3,158.31, €3,619.81) from a total of 91 donations.

We express our deepest gratitude to all our donors; your support has enabled us to continue our efforts to conserve the heritage of Saint Lucia and to retain some of our staff in these trying times. We hope that you will continue on this journey with us as we  work steadfastly to conserve Saint Lucia's unique heritage.

Links:

• News clip of reopening of Pigeon Island Interpretation Centre