UWI Offering Climate Change Course

Caymanian Compass
14 June 2013

A new continuing education certificate course in climate change will be offered through the University of the West Indies Open Campus at the beginning of the next academic year.  

The programme is aimed not only at teachers and educators, but also all those involved in industries that will be most directly affected by climate change, such as tourism, agriculture, water management and construction. The programme will give participants a thorough understand of what climate change is, as well as enabling them to examine the implications it will have on their lives.  

The programme consists of four courses, which will be delivered over two semesters. Because it is conducted through the Open Campus university, the programme is conducted online, without the need to physically attend classes.  

The initial run of the programme, which will be a pilot run, will take just 25 students. No prior qualifications are required to enrol on the course and fees for the pilot run will be reduced to $125 per course. Thereafter fees will be $250 per course.  

Applications must be submitted before 30 June.

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Rock iguana ‘Nelson’ reappears

Caymanian Compass
6 June 2013

It’s been nearly a year since Nelson, a large Sister Islands rock iguana that was injured on a Cayman Brac road, returned to her home on the island after getting medical treatment in Grand Cayman and sheltering in a Department of Environment officer’s bathroom.

For several months after she was released back into the wild, there was no sign on the Brac of Nelson, leading those who had been involved in her rescue and recovery to worry that she may not have recovered after all.

But Bonnie Scott, who played a big role in saving the iguana, said that Nelson was spotted late last month and seems to be doing well.

“For weeks, I’ve been hearing about an iguana crossing Dennis Foster Road near the high school and today I saw it basking and got a good zoom of the beads. It’s Nelson,” she said. “I’ve been asked repeatedly whatever happened to Nelson, but didn’t know until today. I think she has been doing what iguanas should and enjoying life in the wild since, until recently, no one had seen her since last July.” Read whole story here.

Environmental concerns running high

Cayman News Service
April 20, 2013

Concerns are running high about Cayman’s environment and its lack of protection according to a survey recently conducted by the National Trust among its membership. Of the 155 respondents surveyed in March, 99% said they felt it is important to preserve the history and environment of the Cayman Islands, while only a meager 3% of respondents said they felt that Cayman’s environment is adequately protected by current legislation. 97% of respondents said they believe the Cayman Islands needs more legislation to protect its environment, and 86% said they believe the Cayman Islands needs a law to protect places of historic importance.

“This survey confirms a substantial level of concern about the state of environmental and historic protection here in the Cayman Islands,” said National Trust Executive Director, Christina McTaggart.

McTaggart noted that 88% of respondents stated it was “very important” that the next Government enacts legislation protecting the history and environment of the Cayman Islands, and a further 11% felt that it was “important”.  Read whole story here.

Poor grade for environment protection

Cayman 27
11 April 2013

The Cayman Islands have received a poor grade for the protection of the environment. A report from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds says it’s because the islands do not have a National Conservation Law in place.

The Society gave Cayman a weak ranking among all British Overseas Territories for species protection, site protection, development control and accountability.

Minister of Environment Mark Scotland says his government hasn’t passed the law as its draft form still does not have general approval. Meanwhile, the Department of Environment says it is not surprised by the low ranking and the head of the DOE Gina Ebanks-Petrie is calling for urgent passage of the National Conservation Law.

Although the law has not been passed, the DOE says sea life is well protected under the recently amended marine conservation law.

Value of Mastic Trail assessed

Caymanian Compass

December 27, 2012

A visiting scientist from the United Kingdom has been evaluating the value of the Mastic Trail in Grand Cayman to determine exactly how much it means to the Cayman Islands.

Research scientist Michael MacDonald from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds spent three weeks in Grand Cayman in December assisting the National Trust for the Cayman Islands examine the Mastic Trail and its surrounding forest to see how valuable it is in terms of its carbon storage, water lens and tourism. 

“The idea behind what we are trying to do is look at conservation sites, for example, the Mastic Forest, to try to look at other things they provide in addition to conserving biodiversity – birds and plants,” Mr. MacDonald said. “The idea is to demonstrate the other things it provides, which we call ecosystem services.”  Read the whole story here.

OT director says CI needs environmental protection

Cayman News Service

November 30, 2012

 

The UK’s new overseas territories director has pointed to the environment as a crucial Caymanian asset that needs to be protected. Speaking during a brief press conference during a short visit to the Cayman Islands on Thursday, Dr Peter Hayes said that the protection of the environment in the territories is a major part of the new Whitepaper outlining the future relationship between Britain and its former colonies. He said that there would be help available to the OTs in this regard and he wanted to see the legislature also take action to protect the islands’ natural resources. He indicated that the UK saw the natural environment as the driving force in the success of the tourism product, so it had to be protected in order to protect the countries' revenue. 

Asked what he believed Cayman should be doing to improve its financial situation, the environment was the first thing the senior FCO technocrat pointed to.  Read the whole story here.