fp Turks and Caicos

Brought to you by the National Trust

February 2 is World Wetlands Day, marking the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands 40 years ago in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Forests play a crucial role in the hydrological cycle and as a consequence, in the health of wetlands.

In support of the worldwide celebration of caring for the wetlands on Feb. 2, both the Turks and Caicos National Trust and the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources are embarking on projects to clean-up and help preserve precious wetlands in the TCI.

“In every outthrust headland, in curving beach, in every grain of sand there is the story of the Earth.”
—Rachel Carson

TCI Protected Areas

Some developments can make positive contributions to society, and some projects are disastrous. A few years back, a development of the latter sort began within the boundaries of the Princess Alexandra Nature Reserve.

Historic stones bearing inscriptions dating back to 1767 have been cast or moved into safekeeping through a joint effort of government, volunteers and business.

The Turks and Caicos Islands government has extended until Jan. 31 the deadline for tenders to mine 321,000 cubic yards of sand for construction purposes from six different areas.

The deadline had been Dec. 31.

Now the government hopes to make money selling sand from underwater deposits to buoy sinking government revenues. This marks a departure from the former practice of mining sand from beaches, which was banned Nov. 1.

On Saturday, Dec. 11, starting at 6 a.m., anyone who cares about the environment we live in is being asked to come out and help clean up the TCI.