By Kisean Joseph
The Environmental Awareness Group (EAG), a non-governmental organization, has shared noteworthy achievements across its 2024 conservation efforts to protect Antigua and Barbuda’s diverse ecosystems.
One such initiative, the Antigua Marine Conservation Program (AMCP), celebrated a breakthrough in sea turtle protection, successfully reducing predatory threats to the endangered species. Program Coordinator Miquel Garcia reported that their control trial exceeded expectations.
“In 2024, we implemented our first invasive species control trial and hit our initial goal of reducing nesting predation by 50 percent,” Garcia said.
This achievement is particularly significant for the critically endangered types such as the Hawksbill and Green Sea Turtles that nest on Antigua’s beaches.
The program’s community engagement efforts also flourished, with 65 new volunteers trained as beach monitors, creating a wider network of environmental stewards across the islands.
The Redonda Ecosystem Reserve (RER), declared as a protected area in 2023, made substantial strides in its first full year of operation. Coordinator Johnella Bradshaw shared the expansion of their partnerships and monitoring efforts.
“We were very happy to grow our partnership with the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force [ABDF], who will be assisting with marine patrols of the area. We created a Redonda marine research monitoring plan and introduced 23 people to Redonda, including new volunteers,” Bradshaw said.
The Offshore Islands Conservation Program (OICP) demonstrated remarkable reach in environmental education. Program Coordinator Shanna Challenger reported on the impact of their “Into the Wild with the EAG” initiative on the education sector.
“We distributed educational material to 1,965 grade four students and engaged with 156 primary school teachers across 56 primary schools in Antigua and Barbuda,” Challenger said.
The OICP also recorded another milestone by facilitating the first ever visit of Barbudan students to the offshore islands.
The EAG’s Partnership Development (PD) program established key relationships within the tourism sector, and Coordinator Adia Duberry outlined their collaboration with the hotel industry.
“We implemented community outreach programs in southside communities and conducted environmental training for hotel staff. This included coastal ecosystem training, bird and lizard identification, and turtle response training while helping them develop sustainable tourism practices,” Duberry said.
Looking ahead, the EAG will continue to expand its programs while maintaining crucial monitoring and protection efforts across its various initiatives.
The organization welcomes community involvement and can be reached at 462-6236 for those interested in supporting its conservation efforts.
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