Gemma Handy - St John's, Antigua
Sun, October 1, 2023
Seabirds now flock to the newly verdant isle
The incredible eco-restoration of one tiny Caribbean island - transformed from desolate rock to verdant wildlife haven in just a few years - has captured the imagination of environmentalists worldwide.
Now the tenacious Antiguans and Barbudans who led the metamorphosis of the country's little known third isle of Redonda are celebrating another impressive feat.
The mile-long spot has been officially designated a protected area by the country's government, ensuring its status as a pivotal nesting site for migrating birds and a home for species found nowhere else on Earth is preserved for posterity.
The Redonda Ecosystem Reserve, which also encompasses surrounding seagrass meadows and a coral reef, spans a colossal 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres).
Its sheer size means the country has already met its "30x30" target, a global goal to protect 30% of the planet for nature by 2030.
Today, Redonda is bursting with biodiversity including dozens of threatened species, globally important seabird colonies, and endemic lizards.
The number of ground dragons rebounded as the environment recovered
It did not always look like this. Invasive black rats that preyed on reptiles and ate birds' eggs, along with goats introduced by early colonists that devastated Redonda's vegetation, had left the island looking like a barren moonscape.
An ambitious project launched in 2016 to relocate the goats and eradicate the rats saw the greenery spring back to life, bringing with it an exponential rise in native species.
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The work was piloted by local NGO, the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG), in sync with the government and overseas partners including Fauna and Flora International (FFI).
The EAG's executive director Arica Hill describes the new protected status as a "huge win for Antiguans and Barbudans".
"This is the largest marine protected area in the Eastern Caribbean; it showcases the amazing work that conservationists and environmentalists can do right at home," she tells the BBC. "What is even more significant is that the government has trusted us to legally manage it too."
Magnificent frigatebirds are among those nesting on the island
The group is already carrying out feasibility studies in the hope of reintroducing species found on Redonda many years ago, such as the burrowing owl, a small sandy-coloured bird that nests underground.
The EAG is also setting up a robust governance system to ensure the island remains free of invasive critters. That includes surveillance cameras to look out for errant rats and monitoring local fishing activities which must adhere to strict guidelines.
FFI's Jenny Daltry says Caribbean islands face the highest extinction rates in modern history, meaning the restoration and protection of areas like Redonda is "critical".
There is a wealth of seabirds on Redonda's cliffs
Since the efforts began, 15 species of land birds have returned to the island, while numbers of endemic lizards like the critically endangered Redonda ground dragon have soared.
Local residents who once dubbed Redonda "the rock" are now its most vehement guardians, says the EAG's Shanna Challenger.
Before its restoration, locals called Redonda a "rock", and it is easy to see why
"Our little sister island that many people never see has been able to invoke such national pride," she smiles.
"To me as an Antiguan and Barbudan, this work has been monumental. We are forever written into the fabric of Redonda's history; I'm so proud to have been instrumental in this and can't wait to see what Redonda's legacy will be moving forward."
For small developing islands that exist on the frontier of climate change, Redonda's success represents a rare bright spark amid a glut of gloomy environmental headlines.
Now, the island is much greener
"Reaching our '30x30' target tells the rest of the world that this is possible. Even though we don't put out the most emissions, we are among the most impacted and we are still the ones meeting our target early," Shanna continues.
"We are putting our money where our mouth is. I hope this is an inspiration to other countries that if little Antigua and Barbuda can do it, so can you."
For Johnella Bradshaw, the reserve's coordinator, the accomplishments are more personal still.
Johnella Bradshaw is proud of what has been achieved on Redonda
"Growing up, going through school and college, a career in the environmental field was unheard of. The emphasis was on being a doctor, dentist or lawyer," she says.
"When you think about conservation, you think about things happening in America or Europe, not a little island in the Caribbean.
"Now we are at the forefront of international conservation we can change that narrative, and show younger generations that people who look like me can do this."
Johnella is eager to prove that the protected status won't just exist "on paper" but "in reality too".
The waters off the island are also teeming with life
Like her compatriots, she's all too aware of the unprecedented climactic conditions facing the country. Six years ago, Barbuda was devastated by Hurricane Irma and warming seas continue to pose an existential threat to islands across the region.
"You hear about climate change, rising temperatures and stronger storms but we are feeling it. This summer has been awful, it's so hot," Johnella adds. "But if we all play our part, together we can make a difference."
This Caribbean island was once plagued with rats that destroyed the ecosystem. Now, plant biomass has increased 2,000% thanks to environmental group efforts.
Lloyd Lee
Sun, October 1, 2023
Conservationists have been working to restore native life on the island of Redonda.Addshore
Redonda, an uninhabited Caribbean island, was a critical source of fertilizer in the 19th century.
When miners stepped foot on the island, they introduced invasive species that destroyed the habitat.
Environmental groups began restoration efforts in 2016 and have seen remarkable progress.
Redonda, a small, uninhabited Caribbean island that is part of the commonwealth of Antigua and Barbuda, is on the path to recovering its native ecosystem after being destroyed by invasive species nearly a century ago.
The tiny island of Redonda, about a mile long, was formerly a haven for several species of seabirds.
Its attraction, particularly to birds, such as Brown Boobies and Masked Boobies, made the island a rich source of guano — or seabird excrement — which could be turned into fertilizer and gunpowder.
In the 19th century, the British government deployed more than 100 miners to begin extracting several tons of guano per year, according to Earth Island Journal.
Humans deserted the island around the 1930s, but the mining operations left behind invasive species, mainly domestic goats and stowaway black rats, that wreaked havoc on the island's ecosystem.
Soon, the island became a barren landscape, earning the nickname "the rock" from adjacent locals, BBC reported.
"Much like they have done elsewhere in the world, the rats and goats contributed to the deforestation and desertification of Redonda and are blamed for the extinction of the endemic skink and iguana, as well as the extirpation of the Antiguan burrowing owl on the island," according to the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG), an Antigua and Barbuda NGO. "By 2012, the ecosystem was so severely degraded that even the feral goats were starving to death."
In 2016, environmental groups such as EAG launched restoration efforts to bring back the local plant life and animal species native to the island.
The plan included relocating Redonda's estimated 60 goats to Antigua and eradicating about 7,000 rats with the help of local and international volunteers.
"That's all we did. We just removed the species that were not supposed to be there and within months we saw the vegetation growing back — the island rebounding," Johnella Bradshaw, EAG's Redonda program coordinator told CNN.
In just two years, entire species began to return, according to the EAG.
"Within 24 months of invasive species removal, populations of at least two of the three lizard species have increased by more than threefold and species of land birds and invertebrates, not seen in decades, have returned," the NGO wrote.
Today, Redonda is home to dozens of threatened species and a new generation of seabirds that haven't been seen in centuries. Total plant biomass has increased by more than 2,000%, CNN reported.
"Up to this date, we haven't planted anything, we haven't reintroduced any species. We just removed the rats and the goats, and the island transformed right in front of our eyes," Bradshaw told CNN.
This month, the government of Antigua and Barbuda established the Redonda Ecosystem Reserve which will cover 30,000 hectares or 74,000 acres of land and sea, including the small island.
Bradshaw told the outlet that this designation should help the island continue its restoration, which remains fragile.
An EAG spokesperson did not return a request for comment.
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