Snapshot of some of our success stories and why we continue to protect special places and unique flora and fauna, and create sustainable livelihood opportunities across Saint Lucia!
LIVELIHOODS

Our mangroves continue to take care of us by providing a buffer during turbulent weather as well as serving as a shelter for fish and other seafood we enjoy. Understanding this, the Trust continues to revegetate the mangroves with trees we grow at our nursery at Ma Kote Mangroves. We also coordinate cleanup activities of the site and bring children there to give them a firsthand experience of why mangroves are important and their role in protecting them.
In 2016 we were the lead implementing agency for the certification in sustainable sea moss production of over 20 sea moss farmers from the Au Picon- Cacoa region in Vieux Fort North. This is a major milestone for the sea moss industry and for Saint Lucia since no such vocational training programme existed in the Caribbean prior. Another major success is that the National Vocational Qualification ( NVQ) has been approved and adopted as the CARICOM wide standard for training and certification in sustainable sea moss production across the region. 
CULTURAL HERITAGE

In 2016, with the help of the Governments of Saint Lucia and the Republic of China on Taiwan we restored the childhood home of twin brothers Roderick and Sir Derek Walcott - Walcott Place - to create a physical space to celebrate the Walcott’s achievements, and to be a source of inspiration and education. Despite the withdrawal of the financial support from the Government of Saint Lucia we hope that the project will lead a renaissance in the Chaussee Road-Grass Street area through the creation of economic opportunities associated with Walcott Place.
Listing of Buildings Project

In accordance with the Saint Lucia National Trust’s mandate to protect, preserve and restore buildings, monument and sites of historic interest a national survey was carried out resulting in two hundred (200) historic buildings island wide being included on a register of buildings of historic interest. It is our hope to continue this listing to preserve our built heritage.
Fort Rodney Restoration
 
Fort Rodney is an 18 th century fortification which played a pivotal role in the War between the British and the French for possession of Saint Lucia. The Trust received support from a volunteer Mr. Johnny Martin a Conservator and specialist in lime mortar to repair Fort Rodney in 2019. The Trust is encouraged by the successful restoration of Fort Rodney and hopes to continue working towards the preservation of our built heritage.
The Register of Historic Buildings was updated as part of a summer internship programme by engaging seven students from Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, the Division of Technical Education and Management Studies. The Department of Surveys in the Ministry of Physical Development lent their support in this much needed initiative.

CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC SITES
 
MAINTENANCE OF 24 HISTORIC SITES

The Saint Lucia National Trust is the custodian of twenty-four (24) sites ranging from offshore islands and rocks, 18 th and 19 th Century colonial military sites, and spaces of natural beauty. Of the twenty-four (24) sites ten (10) historical sites are maintained on a fortnightly basis. The limited number of sites maintained is attributed to the remote location of some of the offshore islets and islands, and the topography of the other sites. The sites maintained on a fortnightly maintenance cycle include Morne Cemetery, Powder Magazine, Inniskilling Monument, Prevost’s Park, Apostle’s Battery, Half Moon Battery, Married Women’s Quarters and Meadows Battery, Choc Park, Morne Pavillion and the Pigeon Island National Landmark (PINL). The PINL, the Trust’s flagship site and is maintained daily by a third of the Grounds and Maintenance Officers. At each of the sites mentioned landscaping is conducted along with the upkeep of monuments and structures on the site.
Offshore Islands

Of the many offshore islands and rocks found within the waters of Saint Lucia conservation work is being conducted on five of them. Namely; Maria Minor, Maria Major (these two form the Maria Islands Nature Reserve), Praslin Island, Dennery Island and Rat Islet. The Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT) alongside the Department of Forestry and Lands Resources with assistance from Fauna and Flora International and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust have been conducting biosecurity monitoring on these offshore islands with the goal of keeping them free from invasive alien species notably rodents. 

The SLNT conducts biosecurity protocols which involve baiting the offshore islands with bait detrimental to rats. Since this initiative these islands are now thriving. Each island has a prescribed number of bait stations strategically placed at possible incursion points thus making it difficult for a rodent to thrive in the event of an invasion. Maria Major has thirteen (13) bait stations, Maria Minor, Praslin and Rat Islet all have five (5) bait stations each and Dennery Island has nine (9) stations. 
Over the past seven (7) years ongoing biosecurity protocols have been implemented on the offshore islands of Saint Lucia, as a preventative measure to keep them free from rodents and other invasive alien species. An island kept free of rodents and other invasive alien species becomes a safe haven for the endemic reptiles and nesting migratory birds which use these islands as their habitat. The monitoring system is ongoing with the aim to keep all of the five (5) offshore islands free from invasive alien species. 
CONSERVATION OF NATURAL SITES

The Proposed Anse La Liberté Sanctuary – We are currently working with our partners in species conservation to establish a “mainland island” or “ecological island” – an area of land within the Anse La Liberté site surrounded by a pest proof barrier and kept free from harmful alien invasive pests, such as rats, mongooses, cats and other animals that pose a serious threat to native wildlife inside. Anse La Liberté will be developed as world class sanctuary to advance biodiversity conservation, education, and research. The Sanctuary will be the home of many rare Saint Lucia wildlife found only on our offshore islands or in low numbers on the mainland. Wildlife such as the Zando or Saint Lucia Whiptail Lizard; the White Breasted Thrasher and the Gayak Tree face possible extinction .
ADVOCACY & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO PRESERVE & CONSERVE

Marine Turtle Monitoring

Since 2015, the Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT) in collaboration with the Fisheries Department have been conducting monitoring of marine turtles within the Pointe Sable Environmental Protection Area (PSEPA). Mr. Vincent Clarke trained in turtle monitoring is the lead monitor on this activity. In the nesting season which runs from May to November he patrols the beach monitoring and recording the nesting activities observed. His recordings include the number of nests, hatchlings, unhatched eggs, and the species of turtle are recorded. There has been evidence of poaching activity recorded annually, and as such the SLNT works with the Praedial Larceny Department of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force to help combat this illicit practice.

Four species of marine turtle nests here in Saint Lucia, namely the Loggerhead, the Leatherback, the Green and the Hawksbill turtles. Additional activities conducted to raise awareness of the importance of marine turtle to our waters include presentations to school and clubs, and public awareness activities on marine turtles.
In 2012, the Saint Lucia National Trust in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries and with support from the Ministry of Education, developed a manual entitled " A Teacher’s Guide to Marine Environmental Education in Saint Lucia. " The manual equips primary and secondary school teachers in science and social science subject areas with the knowledge, contacts, tools, activities and supporting materials necessary for them to teach their students about the marine environment. The initiative was funded by the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Coordinating Unit of the Caribbean Environment Programme, and Caribbean Marine Protected Areas Management (CAMPAM) project which provides supports to enhance the protection of the marine space in selected Caribbean countries, including Saint Lucia. The goal of the manual is to raise awareness and understanding of the marine environment in general, and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and marine biodiversity conservation.
For years the Trust operated the Kids Summer Safari Camp which engaged hundreds of children in our conservation work. In 2009 we launched the Youth Environment Forum (YEF) which is offered at a very low cost to encourage participation of those who might be economically challenged. YEF continues to engage children island wide in the importance of heritage conservation through in-class presentations, numerous field trips, experiments and the arts.
We continue to recruit new members and engage them in various activities geared at engendering a greater sense of appreciation for our heritage. Activities include membership meetings, hikes at various sites island wide, turtle watch overnight camps, dolphin and whale watching excursions, Maria Islands tours, sea moss and bee keeping sessions and any many others.
We continue to advocate with like-minded organisations for balanced and sustainable development and the conservation of our natural and cultural heritage. We hope that Cabot Saint Lucia (Canadian-based) and the local authorities will follow due process and stop the massive clearance of large tracts of land without the necessary safeguards or preparations, jeopardising important archaeological and natural heritage within the Cabot Saint Lucia site and the adjoining Queen’s Chain.
Over the years we continue to engage students about the importance of heritage conservation and their roles as stewards. We have visited schools island wide, as well as organized and funded heritage trips for students to various sites across the island. We do our best to engage them in a fun yet highly informative way so that our future generations of policy makers would be more aware of the need to sustainably manage our heritage assets.
Continuous advocacy to ensure that Government does not build a dolphin park in Saint Lucia. We will continue to advocate against this, considering that these facilities are closing down worldwide, the damage it would cause to our fish stock, coral reefs and the negative effect on sea bathers, snuba operators, divers and others who rely on our oceans for their livelihood.
Over the years we have hosted numerous volunteers - locals and foreigners, who have worked with us to enhance our conservation efforts.

In collaboration with the Department of Forestry, corporate Saint Lucia and several schools we coordinated the planting of close to 5000 trees in areas that were affected by landslides after Hurricane Tomas in 2010 and the 2013 Christmas Eve trough.