Conservation update summer 2022
This has been an incredibly busy period as we continue to work hard to enhance the natural beauty of Mustique while also reducing our environmental impact.
We are all so proud of the coral nursery and it has been great to have witnessed so much activity over the summer, beginning with Ken and his team visiting in June. Working with our wonderful dive team, Ken spent a week with us, cleaning coral, replanting and providing training. We also hosted Vaughn Martin from Serenity Dive in St. Vincent, to deepen our local connection. Throughout summer, one of our families cleaned every week, a local intern volunteered to assist for a week, and 2 visiting interns from Ken’s team cleaned for 4 weeks.
This capacity building is key to ensuring we have a sustainable model in place for maintaining and developing the nursery and surrounding reefs. While the reef is in excellent condition, additional help is always welcome. If you are a diver and would like to help, please reach out to our dive shop. Even if you don’t dive, enjoy a snorkel and experience the vibrant and rich reef ecosystem outside the Cotton House, which Ken described as being one of the best coral restoration sites he has seen. Or take a dip outside Basil’s Bar and watch the turtles feed. You never know, you may also get to see a turtle nest on one of the beautiful beaches during a morning walk, which are a highlight of every visitor’s stay.
Another hugely exciting piece of news is the ongoing development of our solar initiative, which is seeing us reduce our reliance on diesel generators and increase our solar provision from 16% of the energy mix to up to 70%. Work has already started with preparing the site, and we will start to steadily add solar panels before Christmas. This is a huge step forward for the entire community, which will see Mustique continue to lead the way across the Region. Recent events across the world have exacerbated the risks of relying on fossil fuels, and we are incredibly proud of what this project will mean for the whole island community and St Vincent.
In a related initiative, we are also going to be planting more trees to offset those removed to make space for the solar panels. Numerous neems and cedars, as well as mangroves, will all be planted across the island not only to add to the island’s natural beauty but also capture more carbon.
At the end of the summer, we were also delighted to welcome Vincent Kneefel as our new Environment Officer. Vincent is hugely experienced and passionate about protecting the environment and is looking forward to sharing that passion with as many visitors as he can. He can be contacted at vincent@mustique.vc
Please enjoy the beauty during your next visit. Always take care to avoid any damage to the environment and keep a respectful distance from the wildlife that we are so lucky to share the island with.
