“Seeing my peers react to environmental issues in

such a passionate manner encouraged me to step up

and take a greater role. The retreat has made me

realize that the youth need to be heard as we are

responsible for the future of this country,” so said

one of the 37 youngsters who attended the inaugural

Youth for Conservation Retreat. The Retreat

organized by the Saint Lucia National Trust was

held under the theme “Heritage: What does it mean

to you?” at The Old Harbour in Vieux Fort on

Saturday, September 7, 2013. The initiative targeted

Trust members from the youth chapters across the

island.

“The seminar sought to inspire the youngsters to

take their roles as stewards of our heritage more

seriously, and to also enlighten them on heritage

(built or natural) issues. It also provided an avenue

for them to become more familiar with each other,

and exchange ideas on future conservation projects

that could be planned and executed individually or

collectively,” said Karetta Crooks Charles, SLNT’s

Communications & Advocacy Officer.

Dr. James Fletcher, Minister for Public Service,

Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and

Technology apologized for being unable to attend as

he had another important meeting out of state.

Nonetheless, his PowerPoint Presentation on

“Heritage Conservation & National Development:

Finding the Balance” was presented on his behalf

and well received by the youngsters. The various

groups then shared their ongoing projects and ideas

for the period April 2014 to March 2015. Amanie

Mathurin and Raide Hippolyte, President and Vice

President respectively of the Southern Youth

Chapter noted that some of the major initiatives

planned for the period include school visits, the My

Independence Video Competition, the Junk to Funk

Competition and a Creole cooking competition.

Also, Dilan Alcee, President of the Soufriere Youth

Chapter informed the gathering that his group is

planning to organize a beach cleanup, activities to

raise awareness of Climate change and its impacts in

the community and membership recruitment drives.

Thereafter, the participants discussed areas of

collaboration amongst the various groups and the

Secretariat.

Although the Northern Youth Chapter was only

represented by two youngsters, their contribution to

the discussions was indeed valuable. Kemar Louisy

of the Northern Chapter proposed that the age

requirements of the youth groups should be

modified to encourage students from a younger age

to understand their roles as custodians of the

environment. He also suggested that the three youth

groups of the Trust should come together and

organize a “Demonstration” aimed at drawing the

public’s attention of the need to appreciate our

heritage.

The Retreat culminated with a delectable Bar-Be-

Cue on the lawns of the Maria Islands Interpretation

Centre. Based on the evaluation forms, the

youngsters would like event to be held annually and

they were grateful for the opportunity to learn more

about the Trust and the various projects being

coordinated by fellow youngsters who shared their

passion.

Youth for Conservation

Karetta Crooks Charles

SLNT Communications & Advocacy Officer

Volume 2 Issue 3

On September 26, 2013, the Trust celebrated its 38th

Anniversary by organizing three activities. An

interactive discussion on heritage conservation and

the Trust’s current and future projects took centre

stage on the “90 Minutes” talk show on Radio St.

Lucia. The guests were Director, Bishnu Tulsie;

Historian, former Chairman and Life Member of the

Trust, Dr. Gregor Williams; Amanie Mathurin,

President of the Southern Youth Chapter and Mr.

Kemar Louisy of the Northern Youth Chapter.

A 5 minute video on the life and works of one of the

Trust’s founding fathers, Robert Devaux, was

produced by the Trust with support from the Devaux

family and was aired on DBS TV, Choice TV, HTS

and NTN.

Additionally, the Reception area at the Secretariat

was transformed into an exhibition bearing the many

publications of Mr. Devaux. The 5 minute video

produced by the Trust, a 15 minute video done by

the family as well as various conservation related

documentaries were also available for viewing.

Here are a few photos of the exhibition, enjoy!

Happy 38th Anniversary to the Trust!

In this issue:

1. Youth for Conservation

2. Trust Anniversary Celebration

3. Saint Lucia Goes Big on Ozone again

4. Taking a Closer Look

5. CYEN Summer Programme

6. Membership Meeting

7. Monitoring our Whiptails

8. YEF 2013

9. Upcoming Events

Karetta Crooks Charles

SLNT Communications & Advocacy Officer

Every year on 16th September nations around the

world observe the International Day for the

Preservation of the Ozone Layer. This day is also

referred to as Ozone Day and is a time for nations to

highlight their efforts at promoting the protection of

the ozone layer. The international theme for this

year was “A healthy atmosphere, the Future We

Want”.

The planning of Saint Lucia’s Ozone Day activities

was spearheaded by the National Ozone Unit within

the Sustainable Development and Environment

Division of the Ministry of Sustainable

Development, Energy, Science and Technology.

Given Saint Lucia’s current work plan under the

ozone layer protection programme, the national

theme “Achieving the healthy atmosphere we want

with energy efficient alternative technologies” was

adopted.

It seeks to highlight the achievements of the

Montreal Protocol in the preservation of our

atmosphere and the importance of selecting suitable

alternative technologies that bring climate and

energy efficiency benefits, allowing us to continue

achieving our sustainable development goals.

On Ozone Day, Monday, 16th September 2013, the

staff members of Super J wore ozone day T-Shirts

and the National Ozone Officer, Ms. Donnalyn

Charles, accompanied by the lead Energy Officer,

Mrs. Judith Ephraim-Schmidt were guests on the

live radio programme, Newspin, with host Mr.

Timothy Poleon, to discuss ozone layer protection

issues and linkages with energy efficiency and

climate change. Two main activities were held on

Friday, 20th September 2013. They were both co-

sponsored by the Saint Lucia National Trust. The

first was the Ozone and Climate Friendly Energy

Efficient Alternative Technologies Symposium held

in the Caribbean Cinema Party Room and the

second was an exhibition which displayed ozone

and climate friendly energy efficient alternative

technologies, in the Mega J parking lot at Choc

Estate. The exhibition was also co-sponsored by

Consolidated Foods Limited and the appliances and

tools displayed were supplied by the Ministry of

Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and

Technology, ServiTech and Solar Connections

Incorporated.

Donnalyn Charles & Joanna Octave-Rosemond

Sustainable Development & Environment Division

National Trusts helped Saint Lucia Go Big on Ozone Again!

“We owe our children and grandchildren a country fit to live on and capable of sustaining their future. We can’t continue to muddle along pretending that past and current practice is okay. With the knowledge, technology and resources that are now available to us, we have an unprecedented chance to make wise decisions and investments that will have broad positive impacts on our children’s future. If we have the vision and courage to succeed, we may be remembered as the generation which pioneered a new way forward. “

Excerpt from Chairman’s Message, Mr. Cletus Springer at the 25th

AGM of the SLNT

Staff members of the Saint Lucia National Trust

(SLNT), specifically Customer Service and Safety

Representatives (CSSR), recently concluded in-

house training sessions on the history and culture of

Saint Lucia and the historical significance of

important landmarks on the island. Facilitated by

renowned Saint Lucian historian and former

Chairman of the SLNT, Dr. Gregor Williams, the

sessions sought to build the capacity of the CSSRs,

thereby enabling them to provide a better service to

visitors to Trust sites.

In his brief opening statements, Director of the

SLNT, Mr. Bishnu Tulsie, welcomed participants.

He noted the usefulness of the exercise not only to

staff who recently joined the organization, but stated

that it should serve as a refresher for others. He

concluded by expressing his gratitude to Dr.

Williams who graciously agreed to facilitate the

exercise.

The sessions began with Dr. Williams stressing the

importance of knowing one’s history, stating that an

understanding of one’s past is essential to

understanding one’s future. Day one delved into the

history of Saint Lucia. Participants were taken on a

historical timeline of Saint Lucia, from its

Amerindian occupation into the American

Revolution and through World Wars I and II. He

highlighted the important role that Saint Lucia

played in military history, particularly during the

French Revolution. He debunked the notion that the

British and the French fought fourteen times over

Saint Lucia and provided precise dates when the

handing over were by signed Treaties between the

two.

Day two commenced with a tour of the Pigeon

Island National Landmark. As the group trudged

along the trail, Dr. Williams detailed the sequence of

events which led to the construction of the Pigeon

Island Causeway. Having arrived at Fort Rodney,

one could clearly see why the British wanted to keep

a strong hold on Saint Lucia, as it was definitely a

vantage point for spying on the French in

neighboring Martinique. It was from this location

that Admiral Sir George Rodney in 1782, observed

the French Fleet set sail from Martinique en route to

join the Spanish Fleet for a planned invasion of

Jamaica. However, their plans were thwarted when

the British intercepted the French near a group of

islands between Martinique and Dominica called

Iles des Saintes. The French fleet was defeated in

what is known as the Battle of the Saintes. Upon

conclusion of the tour, discussions were held on the

cultural legacies that the French, British and

Africans left on Saint Lucia. The session closed

with Dr. Williams explaining the statutory

instruments which govern the operations of the

SLNT.

Following these intense sessions, CSSR’s explored

the fortifications at Morne Fortune, Vigie and

Morne Du Cap. They also went on a tour of the

Maria Islands Nature Reserve and visited the

Mankote Mangrove.

Staff responded very positively to the training,

hailing it as timely and very necessary. Lucretia

Remy, CSSR at PINL thought the sessions were

very enlightening. According to Ms. Remy, “It made

me want to delve deeper into the history of our

island.” Others thought the information

disseminated was indeed captivating and that the

facilitator was very accommodating. Through this

training it is hoped that staff would have a better

appreciation of the island and acquire greater pride

in themselves, their history and culture.

Taking a Closer Look

Eleanor Maurille

SLNT Programme Assistant/Documentation Centre

The members of CYEN – St. Lucia are young

advocates of environmental protection and youth

development. On recognising the extent and impact

of environmental degradation and the appearance of

a seemingly bleak, unsustainable future, CYEN – St.

Lucia decided to host a summer camp which focuses

on actions that curb the current bad environmental

practices.

A total of 60 children, ages 9 to 15 years were

chosen to be ambassadors for a Green Future in St

Lucia. For 2 weeks from July 29th to August 11th,

these young children from both Vieux Fort and

Castries were recipients of information on the

fragility and importance of the environment. The

camp in Vieux Fort was held from July 29th to

August 2nd at the Vieux Fort Technical Secondary

School and the camp in Castries was held from

August 5th to August 9th at the SDA Academy.

The fulfilment of the organisation’s goal for the

camp “to educate and build awareness of the major

environmental challenges that humanity is currently

facing and will face in the future” was made

possible by our principal donor Global

Environmental Facility Small Grants Program (GEF

SGP), as they together with other sponsors and

donors assisted in fully funding the summer camp.

The youngsters received information on the

importance of the environment, solid waste

management, climate change and energy efficiency

and biodiversity. In addition to lectures given to the

children, they also went on tours to the Vieux Fort

Solid Waste Management Facility and the Des

Cartier forest for campers in the south and the

Deglos Sanitary Landfill and Piton Flor for campers

in the north. The youth were engaged in craft

making activities to increase their knowledge and

skills of how to change everyday household items,

in particular plastics and paper, into useable items.

This reinforced the idea of sustainable consumption,

conservation and protection of our natural resources.

GO GREEN was the refrain that was echoed

throughout the camp through Reduce, Reuse,

Recycle and Renew.

The creativity and imagination of the children came

alive in the transformation of the household items

they use every day. In addition to this practice the

campers also formulated songs and poems which

they will use to educate their friends and

communities on the environment. The activities of

the camp continued on Sunday August 11th when

the 60 campers joined 40 other young children in a

tree planting exercise at Parrot’s Hideaway at Bois

d’Orange and concluded on August 14th in a grand

closing ceremony.

The campers engaged in lively discussions

expressing their wishes for a Greener St. Lucia

through discussions of the bad practices and impacts

which they have witnessed in their communities.

These wishes were used to formulate an Outcome

Declaration to be presented to the Prime Minister

and the Governor General. The success of the camp

is a product of the gratitude from different sponsors

and donors such Ministry of Social Transformation,

Local Government & Community Empowerment,

Eastern Caribbean Financial Holdings Limited

(ECFH), OECS Secretariat, St. Lucia Air and Sea

Ports Authority (SLASPA), St. Lucia National

Youth Council, Monroe College, Star publishing

Company, Ministry of Youth Development and

Sports, Ministry of Education, Forestry Department,

Super J – IGA, Domino’s Pizza, LIME St Lucia and

volunteers of JICA (Japan International Cooperation

Agency).

For further information on CYEN – St. Lucia please

visit us on Facebook, email us at stlucia@cyen.org

or contact Teshia Jn Baptiste (National Coordinator)

at 287-0600 or Erland George (President) at 484

7700.

Caribbean Youth Environment Network – St. Lucia (CYEN – St. Lucia) host a

Summer Green Future Camp for children of marginalised communities

Nadia Joseph

CYEN- St. Lucia

Although the numbers were somewhat low, those

who attended the Quarterly Membership Meeting on

August 3rd in the Soldier’s Barracks at Pigeon

Island National Landmark were left invigorated after

a presentation by Senator Dr. James Fletcher,

Minister for Public Service, Sustainable

Development, Energy, Science and Technology. Dr.

Fletcher’s presentation on “Heritage Conservation

and National Development” highlighted the need for

Saint Lucian’s to take greater pride in their

patrimony despite the fact that we are enveloped

with technological advances.

He encouraged the Trust to find ways to merge

technology and culture in an effort to attract the

youth to support its cause. He proposed that a

museum or series of museums should be established

and we could move from the brick and mortar

concept to the development of virtual museums. He

also indicated that Saint Lucia’s heritage should be

interwoven in the education system and that heritage

should be taught in schools, especially in the

formative years of a child’s education.

Additionally, on the agenda was the Redevelopment

of Pigeon Island National Landmark. SLNT’s

Chairman, Dr. Vasantha Chase informed members

that the Finance Committee will review proposals

prior to the Secretariat’s submission of the project to

Council for consideration. She also said the

Resource Mobilization Committee will be expected

to source funding opportunities for various

components of the redevelopment project.

Updates were given on the Limits of Acceptable

Change study that was commissioned for the Pitons

Management Area and the Walcott Heritage Project.

A thorough review of Membership Categories and

Fees was also undertaken. Member, Patricia

Augustin then reported on a Sub-regional Meeting

on Cultural Heritage Protection Laws for the

Caribbean Small Island States she attended on

behalf of the Trust in Saint Kitts. Dr. Chase closed

the meeting by thanking those present for attending

and she also encouraged members to come up with

innovative ways of getting themselves and others

more involved in the work of the Trust and other

committees.

Karetta Crooks Charles

SLNT Communications & Advocacy Officer

It’s OUR Heritage!!

AMNESTY!!

Members, take advantage of

the Amnesty from November

1st – December 31st, 2013.

This is your chance to avoid

excessive back fees, so renew

your membership today! Call

452-5005 or email

membership@slunatrust.org

for more details.

OUR MISSION

The Patrimony of Saint Lucia is

preserved for present and future

generations.

During our frequent visits to Rat Island and Praslin

Island, the Saint Lucia National Trust field monitors

and the Programme Assistant/Conservation have

observed various activities which are a cause for

concern. These islands are home to the endemic

Saint Lucia whiptail lizard, and the activities

observed especially at Rat Island are indeed

disturbing. The whiptails were translocated to these

islands as a measure to promote their survival, and

also for conservation purposes. On our many visits

to Praslin Island we have observed lots of refuse,

makeshift barbeque grills and stone hearths, even in

the presence of erected signage indicating the dos

and don’ts on the island.

On our offshore island visits we have met both

residents and visitors, and have educated them on

the importance of following quarantine procedures

to prevent the introduction of invasive species.

These include checking boats and bags or boxes for

stowaway rodents or lizards, and searching boots

and clothing for plant seeds or insect eggs, or even

small insects like ants which can be surprisingly

destructive to our native wildlife. Non-native

rodents are a major threat to our offshore island’s

native wildlife, but so are non-native lizards, insects

and plants. Our observations of the whiptails at Praslin indicate

these lizards appear to be a lot more friendly than

their relatives on the Maria Islands. Additionally,

the lizards tend to venture off the trails and down

onto the beach area. This might be as a result of

frequent human presence on the islands on weekend

and holidays.

One of the activities is monitoring of bait stations on

the offshore islands. These bait stations are used to

detect, as early as possible, any re-invasion by rats;

the bait we use in them is a much appreciated

donation to Saint Lucia by Syngenta. On a site visit

to Rat Island (with transport courtesy of Sandals

Halcyon, longtime supporters of this conservation

work), we saw no signs of the Saint Lucia whiptail

or the ground lizard. We placed fruits they enjoy

eating like bananas and melons and waited to see if

they were taking refuge from the sun or the fact that

their presence was no longer on the island. Our only

‘guests’ were the hermit crabs that seem to enjoy the

free food. As part of the biodiversity monitoring

and biosecurity protocols for the offshore islands we

collected the left over fruit before we left.

The observations at Rat Island had us extremely

concerned that we discussed the matter in house, and

then reported our findings to the Forestry

Department. This led to the conducting of a lizard

survey on the island as a response measure from the

protocols. The survey conducted by the officers

from the Forestry Department found three lizards at

the time of the survey. The survey is to be repeated

to confirm the population size. The whiptails appear

to be at low numbers at this site and we now need to

work on increasing this fragile population. The

biodiversity monitoring on the offshore islands

continue to observe, promote and conserve the

populations of species on the islands, and keep alien

invasive species off these fragile ecosystems. Our

work on the offshore islands is supported with

much-needed donations from the Critical Ecosystem

Partnership Fund, the Balcombe Trust and the

Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. But we also

need the public’s help: please don’t light fires, check

your boat for rats and your clothing for seeds, insect

eggs or ants, and take home any garbage (it’s a fire

hazard and attracts rats).

Murlina Murray

SLNT Programme Assistant/Conservation

Monitoring our Whiptails

Year 5 was certainly a charm for the Saint Lucia

National Trust’s (SLNT) annual Youth Environment

Forum (YEF). One hundred and forty six (146)

youngsters from across Saint Lucia participated in

the programme that was held simultaneously in

Castries and Vieux Fort from July 22 – 26, 2013.

YEF is aimed at empowering the youth ages 7 to 18

years to be advocates for environment and heritage

conservation.

The United Nations theme for World Environment

Day 2013 “Think.Eat.Save” set the stage for an

exciting programme. We were able to delve into the

theme with great detail with support from partners

who adeptly made interactive presentations on

topics such as “Food Choices, Your Health and the

Environment”; “Food Waste and the Environment”

and “Forest and Food Waste: Is there a

connection?”. The participants built a Solar Panel

and experimented to see if certain seasonal fruits

were ideal to be preserved using this technique. One of the most exciting components of YEF over

the years has been the field trips. Participants

visited the Saint Lucia Solid Waste Management

Authority and the Vieux Fort Waste Management

Facility to observe firsthand where their food waste

ends up. There, the children were challenged to

think of creative ways to reduce their “Food Print”,

thereby minimizing the amount of garbage,

especially organic waste that enters the landfill and

often results in the creation of methane, one of the

most harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to

global warming. Participants ages 11 -18 enjoyed

an exhilarating hike of Têt Paul, and a refreshing

bath at the Touraille Waterfall in Soufriere, while

the 7 - 10 year olds went to Fond Lattisab Heritage

Park where they got a better appreciation for their

culture. Field trips were also organized to the Fond

Assau Agro-Processing Plant and Baron Foods

Limited. These two outings demonstrated that local

produce can be utilized sustainably to support local

manufacturing.

On the penultimate day of the Forum, individuals

skilled in theatre arts were invited to work closely

with participants to create artistic pieces through

song, poetry, drama or dance on all they had learned

during the week. It was impressive to see the

creativity manifested by the participants of the

Forum at the Closing Ceremony which was held at

the Pigeon Island National Landmark on Friday,

July 26, 2013. The performances demonstrated that

the message of “Think before you Eat to Save the

environment” was well conveyed, however, only

time will tell if the participants will begin to change

their food waste habits for the betterment of the

environment, their health, their finances, and those

among us who are affected by starvation. The SLNT

is indeed grateful to its many sponsors and partners

who have continuously assisted us to make YEF a

success. The sponsors for YEF 2013 are St. Lucia

Electricity Services Limited, Bank of Saint Lucia,

Consolidated Foods Limited; through its Super J -

IGA Green Bag Fund, Bank of Nova Scotia,

Domino’s Pizza, CIBC/First Caribbean International

Bank and Sunshine Bookstore.

Karetta Crooks Charles

SLNT Communications & Advocacy Officer

Pigeon Island National Landmark, the Saint Lucia

National Trust’s (SLNT) flagship site was among

the many patrons who participated in the first ever

Love Elevated Wedding Symposium which was

held at the Sandals Grande Resort and Spa from

September 26th - 28th

, 2013. This St. Lucia Tourist

Board initiative was designed to promote destination

weddings and honeymoons, and to showcase the

products and services of local industry operators.

The event also allowed international press, travel

agents, wedding coordinators and wedding planners

to provide insights into the growth taking place

within that business sector.

The SLNT booth’s décor held true to the

environment. The area was decorated with bamboo,

flowers and even a driftwood centerpiece.

Visitors were greeted by Denia George, Business

Services & Events Officer and Jeanell Lambert,

Venue Coordinator. Persons were informed about

Pigeon Island’s History, Weddings, Events, Tours

and the various services offered.

By all accounts our participation in this Symposium

was productive as many travel agents and wedding

planners have already started contacting the

Weddings & Events Department enquiring about,

and booking weddings. We extend our gratitude to

SLTB, Shamark’s Design, Jardin des Fleurs, as well

as to Gail Edwin and Cynthia Alexander for the

unique cakes. Special thanks to the staff members

for making this a successful event.

Jeanell Lambert

SLNT Weddings & Events

Love is in the air…at Pigeon Island National Landmark

Upcoming Events

SLNT Annual General Meeting

Date: November 16, 2013

Venue: Marigot Secondary

School

Time: 1:00 p.m.

Our Vision

The Natural and

Historical

Patrimony of Saint

Lucia is conserved for

present and future

. generations

SLNT

Staff

Happenings

Let’s welcome….

NEW EMPLOYEE

This is a publication of the Saint Lucia National Trust P.O. Box 595, Castries Tel. 1 758 4525005/ 4531495

Fax: 1 758 4532791 Email: natrust@slunatrust.org Website: www.slunatrust.org

Mr. Craig Henry

Programme Officer - South

The Saint Lucia National Trust introduces Mr. Craig Henry, newly appointed Progamme Officer as of

September, 2013. Mr. Henry will be overseeing the Trust’s work in the south from the Maria Islands

Interpretation Centre (MIIC) at Pointe Sable, Vieux Fort. Mr. Henry, who is also from the South, has

expressed his enthusiasm in assisting the Trust to implement its various programmes for the entire Pointe

Sable Environmental Protection Area (PSEPA). He has a profound affinity for nature and community work

and embraces the opportunity to recommit to the cause of natural and historical conservation and protection.

The Trust officially welcomes Mr. Henry on board and looks forward to a long and fruitful relationship.

August September

Stanley Hilaire - 28th Dorcia Wilfred - 25th

Smile, it could be worse… Think about what you’ll look like in ten years. Happy Birthday! Age is something that doesn’t matter, unless you are a cheese.

May your day be filled with smiles, sunshine, love and laughter!!