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Sustainability in Barbados

Sustainability in Barbados

Mark Bibby Jackson visits several sites in Barbados that are putting sustainability first and discovers a growing side to tourism on the Caribbean island.

This is a feature from Issue 14 of Charitable Traveller.

“Climate change started here in Bridgetown,” says Mahmood Patel, who traces the existential threat back to the development of sugar cane plantations on the island by British settlers.
The plantations took over the natural vegetation on the island. At Coco Hill rainforest, its owner Mahmood is trying to reverse this trend, growing trees and grasses that are native to the island. Essentially this is a 22-hectare food forest, and a wonderful example of the positive role regenerative tourism can play.
In the eight years since he acquired the land, Mahmood has planted 80 types of fruit trees, as well as bamboo, bananas, ginger, turmeric and, naturally, coconut, including seedlings of species that used to be endemic or were brought in during the colonial period and have since disappeared. Coco Hills has three trails, including one that leads through an ancient tract of forest, with the most incredible 100-foot high Royal Palms found in an area Mahmood has dubbed the Cathedral.

“The tourist profile of Barbados is changing and it needs to change,” he says. Mahmood is not alone in this belief. The following day I head for WIRRED (Walker Institute for Regenerative Research Education and Design). Until recently the area used to be a sand mine but seven years ago owners Ian and Julie McNeel decided that instead of landfilling they would create a nature reserve, giving back to nature what they had taken away. The Sand Hole, as locals call it, is open to the public with walking and driving tours, as well as school visits. It contains 134 species of trees as well as its own nursery.

Just like Coco Hill and Walkers Reserve, PEG Farm is a relatively new experience, established by Paul Bourne a little over nine years ago. He first shows us his medicinal garden before leading us to the area where the chickens, turkeys, cows and pigs freely roam. Paul also leases land to local farmers, hoping they will follow him in implementing the practices of biodynamic farming. “This isn’t going to happen with me alone,” he says. “There is so much room for improvement. I want to see food growing in Barbados, man.” Like Mahmood, he feels that sustainable tourism is the future for Barbados. “There is more and more awareness of these issues.”

On my final day, I visit Welchman Hall Gully, a tract of secondary tropical forest that has been leased and preserved by Debra Branker for the past 16 years. The star attraction for most is seeing the two troupes of Barbados Green Monkeys that live and feed in the gully – I was fortunate enough to time my visit for feeding time. “The kids that come here fall in love with nature and they want to protect it as adults,” Debra says, positive about the future of sustainable tourism in Barbados.

About the Author

Mark Bibby Jackson is the founder of Travel Begins at 40, a website for people over 40 who want to travel responsibly and imaginatively.

travelbeginsat40.com

This is a feature from Issue 14 of
Charitable Traveller.