Green Pages
- Birds in Paradise September 25, 2015South Caicos’ salt ponds attract an amazing bird community. Story & Photos By Liam M. Carr, Ph.D., School for Field Studies, Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos The island of South Caicos provides important habitat for over 200 species of birds, some year-round residents and others only appearing briefly as they move across the region. Mourning ...Read more about this post
- Keeping Tabs on Turtles July 3, 2015Beach profile monitoring for marine turtle nesting areas. By Charlotte de Fontaubert, Heidi Hertler, Aaron Henderson, and Anela Akiona The Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) are an archipelago of about forty limestone islands. Most of the land habitat is scrub lands. The mangrove forests, seagrass ecosystems, salt flats and coral reefs that line the coast are among ...Read more about this post
- Burn, Baby, Burn March 31, 2015Second controlled burn in Middle Caicos pineyard a success. Story & Photos By B Naqqi Manco, Caicos Pine Recovery Project Manager Following the excellent results of TCI’s first controlled burn in the Middle Caicos pineyard in May, 2012 (see Times of the Islands, Fall 2012 “A Burning Desire”), a second controlled burn was carried out on December ...Read more about this post
- Hidden Pillars of the Economy March 31, 2015Studying, monitoring, and protecting TCI’s coral reefs. By Emily Stokes and Heidi Hertler, School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies Photos By Heidi Hertler Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and highly productive ecosystems on Earth. Whilst they cover a mere 1% of the Earth’s surface, their contribution to the global economy is estimated ...Read more about this post
- Citizen Scientist December 15, 2014Be part of a TCI science revolution. By Edward Hind and Katharine Hart The natural world in the Turks & Caicos changes daily. Birds of all shapes and sizes continually arrive to and leave our shores on their long migrations. Waters inundate and then leave mangrove forests as the tide rises and falls. Humpback whales pass along ...Read more about this post
- Swim Like an Eagle September 18, 2014TCI’s eagle rays on “Near Threatened” list By Dr. Aaron C. Henderson, Resident Lecturer, The School for Field Studies, Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos The spotted eagle ray, known scientifically as Aetobatus narinari, is one of the largest species of fish inhabiting the waters around the Turks & Caicos Islands. Growing up to 300 cm ...Read more about this post
- Passing On a Legacy of Love June 26, 2014Fabien Cousteau visit focuses on TCI youth By Don Stark, Chairman, Turks & Caicos Reef Fund “People protect what they love.” That’s a quote Fabien Cousteau heard frequently from his grandfather, the world-renowned conservationist, environmentalist, inventor, and filmmaker, Jacque Yves Cousteau. Fabien Cousteau visited Providenciales in March, 2014 to assist the Turks & Caicos Reef Fund in ...Read more about this post
- Bird Watch! March 20, 2014Looking out for the birds in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Story & Photos By Eric F. Salamanca, Ph.D., Environmental Research and Development Officer, DEMA Watching and listening to birds is a gratifying way to appreciate the abundance and diversity of these creatures in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Through distinctive behaviors and vocalizations, they communicate ...Read more about this post
- Times of Change December 30, 2013School for Field Studies research targets TCI fisheries. By Amanda Greenstein, Kathy Lockhart, James Squires, Clarence Stringer and Heidi Hertler, School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos On the island of South Caicos, freediving is not a sport, but a way of life. Located along the western margin of the Columbus Passage (also known ...Read more about this post
- A Heart for Conservation October 3, 2013Bryan “Naqqi” Manco wins well-deserved Blue Turtle Award. By Kathleen Wood, Director, DEMA Integrity and curiosity are the two attributes that stood out when I first met Bryan Manco (known to most as “Naqqi”) 13 years ago, when he had just returned to the Turks & Caicos to work for the UKOCTF’s/National Trust’s Darwin Biodiversity Project on ...Read more about this post
- In Search of a Silver Lining October 3, 2013The community reacts to the White Cloud tragedy at Northwest Point. By Richard Green On the morning of April Fool’s Day 2013, Art Pickering approached the pristine reefs off the western end of Providenciales and couldn’t believe his eyes. Anchored between the popular Amphitheatre and Chimney dive sites was the 200+ foot megayacht White Cloud, more than ...Read more about this post
- Time for a Check-Up June 18, 2013Coral reef health: then and now By Don Stark, Chairman, Turks & Caicos Reef Fund During the summer of 2001, we spent three months living on Providenciales and diving nearly every weekend. During nearly all those dives, we shot video of the dive sites. We have had the opportunity to dive most of those sites again in ...Read more about this post
- Bragging Rights June 18, 2013Taking on native orchid propagation by seed flasking. Story & Photos By B Naqqi Manco, Department of Environment & Maritime Affairs Several years ago, I attended an orchid show in Tampa, where orchid growers and the orchid product marketers who follow them gathered to display and sell their finest plants. The rich chocolate scent of a maroon-spotted-white ...Read more about this post
- To Seek & Save the Lost March 12, 2013Final “missing” endemic plant found on Grand Turk Story & Photos By B Naqqi Manco, Caicos Pine Recovery Project Manager The Turks & Caicos Islands have nine species of native plants that are found nowhere else on Earth —they are unique to, or in biological terms endemic to the Turks & Caicos Islands. Of these nine plants, ...Read more about this post
- The Long Journey Home March 12, 2013Captive endangered turtles return to the sea. By Kathleen Wood, Department of Environment & Maritime Affairs ~ Photos By Amdeep Sanghera, TCI Turtle Project For ten endangered sea turtles—six green turtles and four hawksbills—it was a long journey from a fisher’s boat back to the sea, but on January 30, 2013, they finally swam home, thanks to ...Read more about this post
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This spectacular shot was captured by Seth Willingham, also known as @waterproject on Instagram. He’s been a professional photographer for 15 years, traveling the world capturing images of nature from beautiful destinations. He says, " From the moment I first saw Turks & Caicos from the airplane window I knew this place was going to be different. On our first night at Grace Bay, we were blessed with a glorious sunset and the colors of the sky and water were truly mind blowing."