WILDLIFE
6
ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES ST VINCENT PARROT Look out for fl ashes of golden yellow, admiral blue and
deep emerald as the St Vincent parrot soars above the country’s verdant peaks. Although the bird — which mirrors the colours of the national fl ag — is a mere 16 inches long, its squawk is mighty, reverberating through the wilderness. St Vincent & the Grenadines is a country comprised of 32 islands and cays, but almost all the wild parrots reside on the largest island of St Vincent, nesting in the island’s 50-plus square miles of untamed rainforest. There are only around 850 of the colourful fl iers left, the population dwindling due to deforestation and illegal trading, but conservation initiatives like Birds Caribbean are working tirelessly to prevent numbers slipping further. Head along the Vermont Nature Trail to spot them. Set within the sprawling Buccament Valley on the west side of the island, the 1.6-mile path is mostly steep, crossing wooden bridges over streams of crystalline water and up winding, narrow passageways that broaden to staggering viewpoints. HOW TO DO IT: Fraser Taxi and Tours is a locally owned tour operator that runs trips to the Vermont Nature Trail for US$60 (£45). The price includes transportation to and from Kingstown, St Vincent’s capital, to the trailhead, where expert tour guide Trunos Fraser leads the way up to the viewing platform overlooking the rugged Buccament Valley.
frasertaxitours.com
THE INT E RVI EW Stephan Hornsey, executive director of the St Vincent & the Grenadines Environment Fund
From left: Mayreau island is the smallest inhabited island in St Vincent & the Grenadines, with a population of only 300; the scarlet ibis gets its red plumage from eating crustaceans rich in carotenoids
HOW DID YOU GET INTO CONSERVATION WORK? I first got involved in 2016. I was photographing the SVGEF’s work on banning the hunting of sea turtles in St Vincent & the Grenadines and was later invited to join a patrol observing leatherbacks. It’s a remarkable species I never knew much about despite being born and raised here. I was completely captivated.
WHAT INITIATIVES HAVE YOU WORKED ON? I was involved in the sea turtle initiative from the beginning, helping enforce the hunting ban. Most recently, in January 2025 and after 10 years of advocacy, SVGEF received word that the whalers in Barrouallie, a town in St Vincent, would stop hunting the country’s orcas. It was a huge cause for celebration.
WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED? One of the biggest challenges is building relationships with local communities, especially with individuals who previously hunted or poached the wildlife we now work to protect. We’ve come to understand each other better over the years. What we’ve learned is that respect is essential — not just for the species and habitats, but also for the people. Many of our most committed and skilled monitors are former poachers. Their insight and passion have been invaluable to our work.
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