PROTECTING THE FLORA and FAUNA OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS.

At its most basic, the mission of the National Trust for the Cayman Islands is to protect the things that are most precious to Caymanians. The native flora and fauna are crucial aspects of this mission.

One only needs to look at our money or driver’s license to see the importance of these national symbols. Likewise, culture and history are intimately intertwined with the environment.

The Cayman Islands are amongst the most remote in the Caribbean. With no evidence of settlement before colonisation, the species here had longer than almost anywhere in the world to evolve without human impacts. This gave rise to some amazing and unique species, like our iconic Blue Iguanas.

The same isolation that led to these islands’ unique flora and fauna meant that for generations, Caymanians depended on their natural environment to provide for them. Everything is connected in nature, and each species plays a role in a healthy ecosystem. The loss of native species deprives the environment of essential pieces
of the puzzle and of Caymanians, of part of their natural heritage.

The namesake crocodiles of the islands were rendered locally extinct, and the same was nearly true of sea turtles. Fortunately, local people realised the peril and decided to protect them and rebuild their population.

Unfortunately, many of our native species are still under threat. Some will say: what does it matter if Brown Boobies disappear from Cayman Brac? They exist elsewhere, so as a species, they will be fine. That may be the case globally, but locally they play
a role in nutrient transfer from sea to land; just as importantly, they are part of the history and culture of Cayman Brac.

How would you tell the story of the Cayman Islands to future generations without including sea turtles, booby eggs, grouper, or silver thatch palms? Without living representations and personal experiences, will these stories resonate with future Caymanians? The great Jacques Cousteau believed that “people protect what they love”. Places like Hawaii and New Zealand have harnessed this emotional power
and fostered great local pride in their native species.

This pride and reverence for these species’ importance to their culture drives public support for their conservation as much as any environmental message ever could. The National Trust’s mission is to protect Cayman’s natural heritage - and if we want widespread support for that, we need to make people proud of these Caymanian natives.