ST.PATRICK GRENADA- The Small Grants Programme (SGP), is supporting the St.Patrick’s Environmental and Community Tourism Organisation (SPECTO), as it seeks to develop and promote eco-tourism through the protection, conservation and sustainable management of Grenada’s indigenous natural resources, as well as manage the endangered leatherback turtle species and improve awareness on the benefits of environmental protection.
Embodying the essence of sustainable development by “thinking globally and acting locally”; SGP is providing financial and technical support towards this end to conserve and restore the environment; especially the Levera Ramsar Site, which has been affected by the impacts of climate change and unsustainable practices. The Levera Pond is Grenada’s only Ramsar site, designated as a Wetland of International Importance on May 22, 2012.
This project titled,” Sustainable Community Development Through Eco-Tourism: The Levera Pond (Ramsar Site) Development Plan,” was symbolically launched on World Wetlands Day, February 2nd, 2023; as the SPECTO seeks to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and the planet.
The launch was held at Belmont Estate in St.Patrick and was attended by several activists and community members including Mr.Tillman Thomas- former Prime Minister.
“This project is going to help us to set up a virtual library where people who need information on our biodiversity and ecosystems would get an opportunity to do so while paying a fee,” explained Claudette Pitt, Project Coordinator, and Climate Change Activist.
According to Pitt, the idea stemmed from three major occurrences.- the influx of sargassum, COVID-19 and natural occurrences like sea swells which impacted the coastlines between April-July, and the Leatherback hatching season. When tours resumed in 2021 and 2022, the experience was not the same hence the push for the new virtual experience.
“This will ensure the communities in St.Patrick and the wider community are well educated on the contribution of biodiversity and the cultural values of the Levera Pond Protected area.”
In addition to the virtual tours, SGP will support SPECTO to rehabilitate existing trails, set up rest spots for hiking and tours, construct bird-watching towers, a construct a small board walk to facilitate access to the other side of the lake. Chair of the SGP Trevor Thompson spoke of the impact of this project on sustainable development.
“ We know climate change is having an impact on sustainable development and we need to integrate some of those. We are rooted in the beliefs that global actions can be designed, implemented and owned by communities and the benefits go directly to them.”
The Small Grants programme is supporting this project through funding of two hundred and fifty-one thousand, four hundred and forty-seven dollars ( 251,447.00) EC. The project will target and engage 100 – 500 community members within the communities of St. Patrick’s, provide employment for up to 5 persons and expand interactive nature-based and science-backed learning opportunities for youth. The project will be managed by the SPECTO board, while the site will be managed by the Government of Grenada- Ministry of Climate Resilience, Ministry of Tourism and Grenada Tourism Authority.
SPECTO, a citizen-led environmental activist group deeply rooted in the northern Parish- of St.Patrick, is seeking to scale up initiatives that have already been completed, to build community partnership and stewardship, developing conservation-focused livelihoods, within the Ramsar designated Levera Pond Protected area.
