i s l a n d r e s o u r c e s
F O U N D A T I O N
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This 1996 annual report is a little different, taking the form of a letter
rather than our customary newsletter format. This is because we an
ticipate distributing a special 25th Anniversary report early in 1997
to commemorate Island Resources Foundation's two-and-a-half
decades of institutional leadership and support for island communi
ties, island environments, and island development.
Although the Foundation has been a major contributor to global ini
tiatives that enhance the development options of small islands, our
central focus has been the Caribbean, where we helped nurture an
"environmental literacy" which was only in its infancy back in the
early 1970s. Many of you may remember our first conservation pro
gram — a series of research expeditions to Aves Island, a primary
nesting site for the endangered green sea turtle. For many of our
supporters that species-protection program was their first contact
with the Foundation, and, with their donations, over twelve-hundred
turtles were tagged and monitored during those early years.
The environmental concerns and requirements of the Caribbean have
changed substantially since then, as have the interests and objectives
of the donor community working in the region. Where once "the
environment" was a side issue in the development process, it is
now a central concern for island leaders. In this, we believe, Is
land Resources Foundation has made a substantial contribution.
I foresee that the Foundation will continue to refine and extend what
have long been our priorities and interests — encouraging an insular-
based environmental ethic, conserving lands and resources for public
use, promoting environmental sustainability, and supporting partner
ships between public and private sector interests.
But now, before I tell too much of the story to be found in our 25th
anniversary publication, let me briefly review some of the highlights
of 1996 (a summary is printed on the back of this letter).
We hope that you will join us in supporting the mission of Island Re
sources Foundation as we look forward to the next quarter century of
commitment to islands. Please help us ensure the Foundation's
continued success by completing the membership and donation
form enclosed. This year we have included additional incentives for
those who respond to this 25th anniversary appeal.
Sincerely,
(ward L. Towle, Ph
President
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The Year In Review: Highlights
Donor Support
• 1996 marked the 24th consecutive year of support by American Airlines, with donations reaching a
total of 5100,000. American's first donation in 1972 provided start-up funding for the Foundation.
• Vie Moriah Fund approved a fifth year of support for the Foundation's Eastern Caribbean Biodiver
sity Program, with grants now totaling $200,000.
Training Activities
• Cultural heritage teachers seminar in St. Thomas to immerse educators in the history, cultural evo
lution and legacy of Caribbean indigenous peoples (support from VI Humanities Council).
• Land stewardship workshop in St. Lucia, 36 participants from 15 Caribbean countries (co-sponsored
with the St. Lucia National Trust, Atlantic Center for the Environment and The Nature Conservancy).
• Workshop in St. Thomas on metadata collection to permit the cataloguing of key environmental data
for wider access and use by planners, managers, researchers, and librarians (support from US Geo
logical Survey).
Publications
• The UN Environment Programme has published two Foundation publications (order from: UNEP/CAR-RCU, 14-20 Port
Royal Street, Kingston, Jamaica). The first, Guidelines for Sediment Control Practices In Tlte Insular Caribbean, was pre
pared by Foundation program associate Donald Anderson; the author of the second, Guidelines for Integrated Planning
and Management of Coastal and Marine Areas in the Wider Caribbean Region, is Foundation president Edward Towle.
Staff
• Congratulations to Kevel Lindsay, biodiversity program associate at our Antigua office. In June Kevel was awarded a
US$10,000 scholarship by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture for professional studies abroad.
Environmental Leadership Award
• Beginning in 1997 the Foundation's annual $1,000 McFarlane Award for Caribbean environmental leadership will be an
nounced in the pages of ISLANDS Magazine as we link our award for individual excellence to ISLANDS's annual Eco-
tourism Award for Caribbean projects promoting tourism and environmental protection. McFarlane nominees will now be
selected by organizations receiving ISLANDS's Ecotourism Award.
Biodiversity and Protected Area Programs
• The focus of Foundation-supported biodiversity activities in Antigua is Great Bird Island off the northeastern coast where
Foundation personnel are working with Antiguan and UK researchers to protect this last surviving refuge of one of the
world's rarest snakes, the Antiguan racer Alsophis antiguae.
Bird Island has been proposed as a marine reserve and wildlife sanctuary. During the year, with funding from the Organi
zation of American States, Island Resources Foundation has worked with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and
with public and private sector interests in the Parharm Harbor area to move forward the establishment of this protected
area. A management plan and guidelines for the marine reserve were prepared by the Foundation's Antigua staff.
• In Montserrat, the Foundation, working with local planners and scientists from the UK-based World Conservation Moni
toring Centre (WCMC), helped to initiate a users needs assessment for development of a biodiversity database. This has
been a particularly challenging exercise since the island has been under siege for more than a year from an active volcano.
One of its most spectacular eruptions occurred in late July when Ed Towle and WCMC researchers were on island.
Tourism and the Environment
• With funding provided by the US Government under the Coral Reef Initiative, Foundation vice president Bruce Potter pre
pared two case studies focusing on the environmental impacts of coastal tourism in the Wider Caribbean — the first con
centrating on the extent of coastal degradation attributable to tourism development and the second outlining best manage
ment practices to reduce the impact of coastal tourism in the Caribbean.
• Foundation president Edward Towle provided insights on "beaches and the tourism industry — best management prac
tices" at a regional forum in Puerto Rico examining the management of beach resources in smaller Caribbean islands.
Virgin Islands-Resource Management Cooperative
• Under the leadership of Island Resources Foundation, institutions participating in the VI Resource Management Coopera
tive (VIRMC): carried out research on the island of St. John to reduce sedimentation impacts resulting from destructive
land use practices; reported on research results at community forums; experimented with new pollution indicators to im
prove water monitoring programs; continued a decade-long forest regeneration and monitoring program in St. John; de
veloped a draft framework for a unique beach monitoring collaboration between the public and private sectors in the Brit
ish Virgin Islands; supported a Users Group for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the American and British Virgin
Islands; and supported production of a video about the marine environment of the VI National Park.
Island-based Use of the Internet
• Island Resources Foundation has been an early leader in supporting uses of the Internet in advancing sustainable develop
ment for small island states. We are a charter member of the Island Web Consortium, a worldwide network of island-
based internet and world wide web service providers.
• The Foundation's home page is over a year old, and we continue to expand the information available at this site. If you
have access to the World Wide Web, be sure to visit us at:
http://xuzvzv.irf.org