Green Pages

Our actions taken now can have a ripple effect on the world. Story, Photos and Illustrations By Liz Cunningham Twenty years ago I flew into the Turks & Caicos Islands, arriving in a small, wind-blown airport. A newly certified scuba diver, I went to Providenciales’ Northwest Point and dove amongst the brilliantly colored reefs that fringe ...

Birding takes flight in the Turks & Caicos Islands By B. Naqqi Manco, DECR As a child, I was not exactly popular, and by the definition of many of my classmates, downright eccentric. Rather than spending my allowance on new fashionable shoes, designer jeans or collectable cards, I spent it at the feed store. I would arrive ...

Two Grand Turk salinas gain Protected Area Status By Jodi Johnson, Environmental Officer, DECR Since the inception of the National Parks Ordinance of 1975 (and its subsequent amendments in 1992), the salinas of Grand Turk have been overlooked as part of the Protected Area System despite their size, comprising the largest total area of salt ponds in ...

Reptiles invade the Turks & Caicos Islands Story & Photos By R. Graham Reynolds & Matthew L. Niemiller The Turks & Caicos have a very special group of animals that are native to the Islands—the reptile “belongers.” From the regal Rock Iguana to the radiant Rainbow Boa, the ten species of native terrestrial reptiles play a major ...

Challenging the TCI to make a stand . . . of mangroves! Story & Photos By Marsha Pardee, Marine Ecologist This is a story about a little seed of inspiration that culminated in the spoils of an environmental travesty. This is a story about propagating that seed into a multifaceted plan to help maintain environmental integrity. This ...

“Stay at home” turtles are valuable to boosting local populations. By Peter Richardson, Biodiversity Programme Manager, Marine Conservation Society In recent decades, scientists have discovered more and more about the amazing navigational ability of marine turtles. Through satellite tracking we have recorded epic migrations of female turtles making journeys of thousands of kilometres from nesting beaches to ...

Understanding the biology of juvenile Rainbow Boas By R. Graham Reynolds and Cory Deal It’s a beautiful autumn evening in North Caicos, a perfect time to relax on a porch or take a walk on the beach. A warm rain begins as the sun goes down, perhaps suggesting that indoor activities would be more appropriate. But Cory ...

Plants travel as seeds – by air, land and, amazingly, sea. Story & Photos By B. Naqqi Manco, TCI Naturalist Plants do not generally move around on their own accord as adults, but seeds can be amazing travellers. Seeds are small enough that they are a plant’s chance to move its species around, and most plants ...

Some of the TCI’s native plants make it their business to be small and cryptic. By B. Naqqi Manco, TCI Naturalist Tom Hanks and I have something in common. Both of us have found ourselves “cast away” on some very tiny islands during our careers, and both of us have established solid friendships there with nonhuman friends ...

Meet one of the most eccentrically fascinating, yet obnoxious, animals in the sea. By B. Naqqi Manco, TCI Naturalist Photos By Marlon Hibbert and Eric Salamanca Anyone who spends time in nature and gets to know our fellow earth inhabitants quickly learns that human manners, while shamefully rare within our own kind, certainly stop at our species’ borders. ...

North Caicos’ last donkey is a symbol of a bygone era and changing world. By B. Naqqi Manco, TCI Naturalist North Caicos’ last donkey is a symbol of a bygone era and changing world. By B. Naqqi Manco, TCI Naturalist Kew Settlement in North Caicos is a small town – perhaps a tiny town; for even calling it a ...

Suzie the celebrity Green turtle comes home after a 3,700 mile trip! By Peter B. Richardson, Marine Conservation Society (MCS) Suzie the celebrity Green turtle comes home after a 3,700 mile trip! By Peter B. Richardson, Marine Conservation Society (MCS) On January 27, 2010, Suzie, an adult female Green turtle and the first turtle to be fitted with a ...

Seed banking protects native plants from future perils. By B. Naqqi Manco, Senior Conservation Officer, Turks & Caicos National Trust Deep inside an underground fortification, with thick concrete walls, little light, and frigid temperatures, something sleeps. The slumbering one lies with others of its kind, waiting . . . and they may wait for a year, or ...

Tracking Hurricanes Hanna and Ike. By Marlon Hibbert, Scientific Officer, DECR It is no secret that 2008 was an extraordinary year for the Turks & Caicos Islands. During a one week period we suffered the onslaught of two major hurricanes. They wreaked havoc on the people of the Islands and came at a time when the global ...

What impact does the Australian pine have on the local plant community? Story & Photos By Chloe Hardman Tall trees waving in the winds are a common sight along the beautiful beaches of the Turks & Caicos. Locally known as the cedar, these trees offer pleasant shade. But have you ever stopped to wonder where these trees ...