My Barbados Blog

The Mongoose was brought to Barbados, and many other Caribbean islands from India by early the settlers. The Mongoose was supposed to get rid of the rodents, but instead turned into hunting snakes.

Barbados was one of the islands in the Caribbean that was virtually snake free - I say was, because lately there have been sightings of large snakes. Apparently the snakes have been smuggled in the country, and for whatever reason, the snake owners decided to release them.

Even though the Mongoose is known to be a ferocious snake killer, I 'm not sure they want to tangle with some of these snakes.

I read the posting in the Barbados Free Press, and also received an e-mail from a friend on the island.

You just have to wonder what people are thinking when they illegally buy exotic, foreign species of any kind for pets. After they can't take care of them, then their response is to simply turn them loose. 

We've had enough bazaar stories here in the U.S. of owners with pet bears, lions, tigers, alligators, and big snakes who either get loose, or turned loose with no regard for anyones safety.

Hope they catch these big snakes!  

 

THE importance of Barbados wetlands was placed in the spotlight yesterday as locals and tourists celebrated World Wetlands Day at the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary.

This annual worldwide event marks the anniversary of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which was signed as an international treaty in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran. The treaty was signed by 150 party nations, and is aimed at stopping worldwide loss of valuable wetlands and to the conservation of those remaining.

The theme for World Wetlands Day 2006 is "Wetlands and Water: Supporting Life, Sustaining Livelihoods." After a brief ceremony at Graeme Hall National Sanctuary, guests were informed about the importance of wetland conservation, and also treated to a guided tour of the mangroves and the Sanctuary's two walk through aviaries, which are the largest in the Caribbean. The 12 acre lake, surrounded by mangroves is the only place of its kind on the island of Barbados.

General Manager of the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, Harry Roberts said the importance of Barbados wetlands is often not fully understood or appreciated.

In Barbados, because we do not depend on our wetlands for food or transport like parts of Asia or Africa, wetlands tend to be seen only as a natural habitat for wildlife and migratory birds. As a result, most people, including persons living in close proximity to natural wetlands, are unaware of the vital role that wetlands play in the daily lives of Barbadians.

Take a tour of Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary on your next visit to Barbados 

Travel 2 the Caribbean provides a 4 hour Southern Excursion tour which includes the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, the Garrison Savannah, Crane Beach, Miami Beach, Oistins Fishing Village, and the Southern Point Light House. 

For more information on the Southern Excursion tour, and other Barbados island tours, go here 
 

Linda, Travel 2 the Caribbean
 

Sources: Barbados Advocate, Washington File D.C. - United States Recognizes World Wetlands Day 

 

 

The fine beaches of Barbados are a natural resource, and an important tourism product.

Barbados has been involved in International Coastal Clean-Up Day (ICCD) for about 11 years. This has become a world wide event focused on the condition of beaches and inland waterways.

Barbadians volunteered to collect and also record the type of garbage collected. The Center for Marine Conversation (CMC) organizes the event at the international level. The end result is to identify the sources of garbage, and stop the pollution of beaches and rivers which leads to water pollution.

The social club of the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport in Barbados coordinated this years event on the island.

Barbados, along with other islands in the Caribbean have to constantly vigiliant with indiscriminate dumping along their coastlines. One conservation drive on the island is the adopt-a-beach program which encourages businesses, schools, and community groups to contribute to the unkeep of the islands beaches by adopting one of them.

This year the Tourism Ministry adopted Miami Beach, one of the popular south coast beaches located in the parish of Christ Church.

One of my favorite Barbados beaches is Dover which is located on the South coast along the St Lawrence Gap. Other favorites are Mullins and Crane Beach.

Linda, Travel 2 the Caribbean

 

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: There’s concern that corals in Barbados are among those being damaged by the same warm seas that have fuelled Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

That’s the news from global conservation group, WorldWide Fund for Nature.

According to the group, corals off Barbados, as well as off Florida, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Cuba seem to be undergoing the worst damage. 

Chief climate change scientist at the WorldWide Fund for Nature, Lara Hansen, says the heat causing the hurricanes is also resulting in the bleaching of coral. Bleaching occurs when warm temperatures kill algae that live alongside the coral and then if left exposed and the water remains hot, the coral dies. 

Temperatures in the Caribbean have been around 29-33 degrees Celsius, (which is about 84-86 degrees) high enough to cause damage to corals and she says reports from government and scientists around the Caribbean have included information which shows that off Barbados, temperatures of 31-32 degrees Celsius were recorded at depths down to 60 feet, causing widespread damage to the coral.

by Dawne Bennett
Caribbean Net News Barbados Correspondent
Thursday, September 29, 2005

Last week the Barbadian government announced the re-launch of a major offshore drilling program, and creation of wind farms  

The offshore drilling program has been expanded, and Barbados is presently drilling four wells using the horizontal drilling technique.

The goal is to boost product from 1,100 a day to 1,500 barrels a day. Drilling is also being explored in other deep marine areas off the coast of the island.

American oil companies have been pushing hard to find oil and gas reserves in the southern Caribbean, particularly Texaco and Exxon Mobile.

The exploration is nothing new to the area. Texaco moved its southern operation to Barbados over 20 years ago after the island Trinidad nationalized its oil sector.

Texaco's oil discoveries off the coast of Barbados have been marginal compared to the oil and gas successes by local and foreign investors in the Trinidad and Tobago energy sector.

With the current situation in oil prices, no less than five significant companies, Texaco and Exxon Mobile included, have expressed a renewed interest in getting access to Barbados local drilling data.

As the cost of oil continues to rise, Barbados along with other Caribbean islands, have no choice but to look at alternative energy sources.

A new wind farm is being proposed in the parish of St Lucy, taking advantage of the constant tradewinds blowing off the coast of Africa. 

Wind is the fastest growing energy source worldwide, and has been for over a decade with an annual growth rate of 30%. Barbados could power the entire island using this free fuel. 

Casuarina Beach Resort, located on the South coast, just off the St Lawrence Gap, has won the Global Tourism Award. The World Travel & Tourism Council announced the winners of the 2005 awards yesterday, and Casuarina was recognized as promoting the best practices in global tourism.

It's hard to book a room at Casuarina Beach Resort because they have one of the highest occupancy rates in the Caribbean. They also have one of the most advanced environmental hotel management systems in the world. This goes far beyond asking guests to reuse their towels to help protect the environment. 

Casuarina Beach Resort has water and energy saving devices throughout the ten acre property and the staff are trained in all aspects of environmentally sensitive hotel operations. In addition, Casuarina educates its guests about sustainable tourism practices. Their efforts prove that you can be a profitable hotel business and also a leader in protecting the environment.

Staying at Casuarina is like walking into a jungle paradise. No trees were cut down during the building of the hotel, and this is a great location to see the Barbados Green Monkey. The beach is quite expansive, and one of the best on the South coast. The resort features fine Bajan and Caribbean art, which seems to be everywhere around the hotel. You will also find many quiet nooks for relaxing, or reading. The beach area features vendors which are hand picked by the hotel management for their unique products.

Casuarina is a perfect location for those looking for a quiet, tropical environment, and just around the bend is the St Lawrence Gap which features lots of night life, restaurants and hotels. Staying at Casuarina is like having the best of both worlds.

Feel free to contact us at our main travel site for a quote at Casuarina or other fine Barbados hotels.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is the global business leader forum for Travel & Tourism. It's members are Chairmen, and Chief Executives and Presidents of the most prominent Travel & Tourism organizations. It is the only body representing the private sector in all parts of the Travel & Tourism industry worldwide. For more information, please visit www.wttc.org

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by Heather Whipps
Friendly, majestic turtles inhabit pockets of Barbados West coast.

In some places you can swim with the Dolphins; in Barbados it is giant turtles. The docile Leatherback, Hawksbill, and Green Sea varieties, once endangered species, are now protected by the Government of Barbados, and teem in its sheltered habitats along the shallow reefs of the West coast. Fed and watched over by local fishermen, the congregate to feed in these same areas almost every day, providing a great opportunity to view these giant creatures on a regular basis. As a result of repeated visits by snorkelers, they have also become quite sociable and tame.

The western coastline of Barbados has the best concentration of turtles. Here you can choose to either wade out from the beach, and find their shallow reefs, or join an organized turtle viewing cruise.  Many water sports operators offer day sails to swim with them, or extended trips in deeper waters if you want to explore beyond the beach. Excursions generally last a couple of hours, and include multiple stops at turtle feeding grounds offshore, at shipwrecks, and along the island reefs.  The crew will provide snorkel equipment, lessons and a rum punch or two. A fun twist on the ordinary cruise, is the moonlit cruise during hatching season (July to October), where visitors try to spot the tiny hatchlings scamper from the beach nests to the safety of the ocean.

The Government of Barbados takes their turtles seriously. The Barbados Sea Turtles Project (BSTP), set up in 1987 to promote the conservation of the animals, monitors all nesting and hatching on the island, and has even set up a 24 hour hotline inviting all tips on turtle related activity.

I've had the opportunity to swim with these giant turtles, and believe me they are HUGE! It was truly an amazing site, and one I will always remember. If you're serious about the conservation of the turtles, we invite you to look at the previous posting and secure a West coast villa lodging, especially just North of Holetown. This will provide ample opportunity to view the turtles on a consistent basis in their natural habitat.

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Here's a list of the nine hotels in Barbados that have been certified by Green Globe 21, and have made a commitment to protect the natural environment, and are helping to provide sustainable travel & tourism.

Certification by Green Globe 21 is only made by on site inspection. Each property is required to show an ongoing program to keep the Green Globe 21 certification, and utilize the Green Globe 21 logo in their marketing and advertising materials.

These properties have also been recognized by CAST (Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism) who's motto is: Keeping the Caribbean Green, Clean & Pristine.

1.    Allamanda Beach Hotel
2.    Almond Beach Club & Spa
3.    Almond Beach Village
4.    Amaryllis Beach Resort
5.    Bougainvillea Beach Resort
6.    Casuarina Beach Club Resort
7.    Coconut Court Beach Resort
8.    Rainbow Reef Beach Hotel
9.    Southern Palms Beach Club

Many islands in the Caribbean are concerned about the damage to their eco systems from storms; increased tourism; land development and construction; and improper waste management. The Caribbean islands are now leading in the effort to balance the flow of increased tourism, while at the same time making an effort to preserve the natural eco systems along with their cultural history. This is a very fine balancing act.

Barbados as found a way to get rid of tens of thousands of tires, and put them to good use as a fuel source. Arawak Cement Company, located in the parish of St Lucy, will burn the tires in their kiln and reduce their fuel bills each month. This new proposal will also help fill the need for new landfill space on the island.

The World Health Organization and The Center for Disease Control provided a $40,000 grant to help with the start up, and the government of Barbados will contribute the balance of the cost.

Back in 2000, over 100,000 tires were imported, and last year 115,000 tires were imported to the island. These figures show that for every new tire imported, an old tire was being dumped. Barbados health officials also point to the tire dumps as a place for mosquito breeding. Barbados has over 130,000 cars on the island, so cutting down on car imports does not seem possible - Barbadians love their cars!

Burning tires anywhere poses a health threat, but the Arawak Cement Company plans to modify their kiln for the fuel process, and this would eliminate the health threat. Once the tires go into the kiln, there is a process which provides complete combustion.

The media on the island will inform Barbadians when trucks will be in their areas to pick up old tires. This will definitely be a win-win situation for the island, and will also cut down on fuel costs for Arawak, along with being environmentally friendly.
 

TakingITGlobal Barbados is a web based platform for ideas and expressions, a resource of opportunities, and a network of inspirational young people and their projects.

The goal of the program is to build the capacity of Barbadian youth to effectively contribute to the well being of the nation.

Barbados has a 97% literacy rate, and many of the younger generation have completely embraced the latest technology, so it's no wonder the Barbadian youth have decided to form a group within this organization. 

The Barbados youth group has 25 youth members, and approximately 140 youth who have visited the island of Barbados.

The group is currently working on their first project, and some of their concerns are: 

Sustainable Development, HIV/Aids and Biodiversity. It will be interesting to see which of these subjects the group decides for their first project.  

TakingITGlobal.org is a global online community that provides youth of all nations the inspiration to make a difference. The organization is also a source of information on issues of interest to youth, and gives them the opportunity to take action.

Bringing so many young people together internationally builds a bridge for them to not only get involved locally, but also on a global level.

Membership in TakingITGlobal.org is free of charge, and allows members to interact with various aspects of the website, to contribute ideas, experiences and actions.