6292 Estate Nazareth #100 St. Thomas US Virgin Islands 00802 340/775-6225; fax 779-2022 PLEASE NOTE CHANGE IN USVI MAIL ADDRESS AND CORRECT YOUR RECORDS 1718 P Street NW, Suite T4 Washington, DC 20036 202/265-9712, fax 232-0748 123 Main Street, PO Box 3097 Road Town, Tortola British Virgin Islands Telephone: 284/494^954 Post Office Box 2103 St. John's, ANTIGUA Tel. and Fax: 268/463-7740 Via the Internet at: irfsirf.org http:// www.irf.org Board of Trustees Dr. Edward L. Towle Chairman Bruce G. Potter President Henry U. Wheatley Vice President Charles W. Consolvo Secretary Judith A. Towle Treasurer Horace Hord. Jr. Dr. Henry Jarecki Dr LaVerne Ragster Members 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 ?he y**x 1999 and Jgeyond In 1994, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) were the focus of a United Nations Global Conference that addressed their special vulnerabilities. By drawing attention to the special concerns of island states, world leaders recognized that islands were especially vulnerable to global environmental threats like climate change and sea level rise. In the years since that international assemblage, the islands of the Caribbean in particular have experienced a sharp increase in both the number and intensity of hurricanes, leaving many to question whether recent storm activity is part of a natural cycle or if the frequency of storms is increasingly influenced by global climate change. While such issues cannot yet be fully assessed, the continued vulnerability of Caribbean islands—whether to damage from natural disasters, fluctuations in global economic markets, continued high transportation and communication costs, or dependence on a limited natural resource base—cannot be challenged. Providing assistance to small island states to meet these challenges has been the central mission of Island Resources Foundation for almost three decades. This report highlights some of our activities during the last year of the twentieth century. A n o t h e r F u r i o u s H u r r i c a n e S e a s o n With 12 tropical storms (8 of which became hurricanes), the busy 1999 Atlantic hurricane season continued a trend of heightened activity that began ten years ago with hurricane Hugo. During 1999, the Caribbean was visited sequen tially by Dennis, Floyd, Irene and Jose before it was surprised by Lenny in mid-November. Not only did Lenny form very late in the season, it was a bizarre west-to-east storm, developing south of Jamaica and moving initially in a southeast direction and then an east-northeast direction. Its impact was felt throughout the eastern Caribbean, with the majority of its damage inflicted on infrastructure and the environment, especially coastal roads, sea defenses, ports, docks, and beaches along more westerly (normally leeward and more protected) coastlines. The Foundation now maintains research facilities in the American and British Virgin Islands and in Antigua. All three were impacted by some combination of the five Caribbean hurricanes as well as several tropical storms during the peak of the season. Fortunately, we came through all without any major damage, but so many "close calls" are stress ful and place extraordinary demands on the Foundation's staff and institutional resources. Our president, Bruce Potter, found himself in Annapolis when hurricane Floyd passed along the central Atlantic coast of the United States, where he was frustrated by a five-day power outage that was reminiscent of more long-term out ages following Caribbean storms. Later in the season, he was in Nassau when Irene visited the Bahamas, in Antigua when Jose passed over that island, and finally waited out hurricane Lenny for three days in St. Kitts. Four hurricanes in one season must be a record of some kind! (continued on page 4) The northwestern Virgin Islands (American and British), where Island Resources Foundation now has two facilities, one in St. Thomas and a second in Tortola. Virgin Islands National Park A T L A N T I C O C E A N Great Tobago l.(j> <3 Little Tobago 1. Brass Is. " L > H a n s \ K . T " \ L 0 l l i k I S . * * - - . . _ _ W W & J a i K n * T h a t c h 1 < J > P i c a r a p o i n t \ ^ - - - T j ^ G D o u UNITED < rj Dutchcap Cay rrj Salt Cay ^-s C < / / S a v a n a l . ^ e v e m n c e B a y " > F l a t C a y s ' . 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S3jsd -pqjBd H3HOd EDflHfl juapisajd uoqepunoj '0096:I J° ai^s e jb paddeui spuqs] uiSjia S'fl 3m}° SdVJN kUNnvwoo NOUV13D3A aq ||im jjojja 3A(jBJadooa siqj jo jDnpojdaqi -(8661 ui pajajduioo sbm x\oij js) uqof js puB seujoqx js uo J3AOD UOIJBJ383A jo uoqejajdjajui ojoqd suiSaq 333va 3aa3IJ-\'V3(jsX|BUB 30jnos3J |Bjnjeu s,uoij -epunog 3qj 'spuB|si uiSjia aq? jo XjisJaAiufj aqj je a3J_\3D viva NOI1VAS3SNOD aqi pue AONVAHHSNCO 3ai"LLV.\ 3H1 qj|A\ diqSJaujjed iq uibjSojj uoqB.UBSuo^ XjisJBAqjoig UBsqquej ujajseg sqj jo diqs -japeat aiunssj oj en8ijuy oj IUI1J3J JJIM [3A3^ 'ssipnjs siq 8ui -j3iduioa uodf] ■cinOHD SS3N3MVMV TVJJMHJ\NOHIAN3 aqi Xq papiAOJd 3q ifjM 33IJJ0 enSquy s.uoqepunoj 3qj joj jjoddns 'a^uasqe s,|3.\3^ Suuna •siAajsj jo cravaanH insdxia -mp\ pub NOIlvaNflOd NrWafl aqi Xq papiAOjd Xjsno -J3U38 ussq SBq ssipnjs s,pA3>{ jo jjoddns [Bijjbj >jjox M9N ui XjisjaAtufi eiqumio^ je XSojoiq jeiuauiuojiAua ui 33j8ap b ansjnd oj aDuasqB-jo-3ABai b suiSaq 'enSquy ui passq K'VaDOHd NOLLVAH3SNOD AJJSaSAIOOia s,uoq -epunoj aqj jo jojBmpJooo 'avsonh 13A3>1 AjDnjqsj — XjonuDp smsimSjH paw*? from the Year 1999 July — August Ed and Judith Towle attend a MUKTI FUND planning retreat at the Pocantico Confer ence Center on the Rockefeller family estate in New York. Judith currently serves as chair of the Mukti Fund, a private foundation that pursues philan thropic grant-making in the eastern Caribbean country of ST. KITTS AND NEVIS. In 1992, Mukti and the Foundation began a working partnership to support institu tional development for conservation NGOs in St. Kitts and Nevis. JUDITH TOWLE directs this program, which now provides assistance primarily to the St. Christopher Heritage Society and the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society. BRUCE POTTER is elected to the Board of the CARIBBEAN CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION at its annual general meeting in Barbados. This is the first time in over 20 years that the Foundation has been represented on the governing board of this regional or ganization (Ed Towle served as president from 1968-1974). Bruce's participation comes at a particularly critical time as the CCA seeks to redefine its role in the Caribbean amid important staff changes at headquarters in Barbados. In August, the Foundation is represented bv kevel LINDSAY at the 12"' annual meeting of the society OF CARIBBEAN ORNITHOLOGY in the Dominican Republic. Kevel's involvement with the Society is long-standing, and he is widely recog nized for his many contributions on behalf of endangered bird species in the Caribbean. September — October Two Canadians—lori tesolin and WOLFRAM DRESSLER—begin six-month internships at the Foundation's BVI facil ity. Both internships were funded by the Canadian International Development Agency through the Winnipeg-based OCOD Youth International Program. Lori and Wolf provided assistance in set ting up the new island systems ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTRE at the Foundation's Road Town location. This facility is provided by the H. lavity STOUTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE, our institu tional partner in the BVI. With back grounds in Geographic Information Sys tems (GIS), the interns also assisted the BVI Planning Department with mapping tasks and the BVI National Parks Trust with revision of its Systems Plan, in cluding mapping of Trust holdings. LORI TESOUN Pictured above ate participants at an August workshop in Son Andres to assist CORAUNA (the envitonmenlal manogemenl agency) in planning lor o marine protected areas system. The photographer is Bruce Potter, who, along with Jimena Arenos (third from left), attended the sessions on behalf of Island Resources Foundation. The San Andres Archipelago comprises an extensive reef system thai incorporates two barrier reefs, five large atolls, and several coral bonks extending over 350,000 square km. about 10 percent of the Carib bean Sea. At the invitation of the Friends of Fish organization, DR. EDWARD TOWLE participates in BERMUDA AND THE sea 2000, a conference to provide public input while the Government prepares a new Green Paper on the marine environment. Dr. Towle is no stranger to Bermuda, having served as chairman of a Commis sion of Inquiry in 1991 that looked at controversial issues arising out of Bermuda's fishing industry. Since then, Towle and Island Resources Foundation have worked with a number of Bermuda environmental organizations. In his recent visit to the island, Towle spoke of the need to maintain a "delicate balance" between using and protecting Bermuda's marine environment, which includes the most northerly coral reef formation in the world. November — December IAN LAMBIE of Trinidad is honored as re cipient of the 1999 EUAN P. MCFARLANE ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP AWARD. Since 1988, this $1,000 cash prize has been given annually by Island Resources to in dividuals who demonstrate leadership in promoting conservation in the Caribbean. Lambie was honored specifically for his work with the Asa Wright Nature Centre and (since 1956) the Trinidad Field Naturalists' Club. The UNEP Regional Office for Latin Amer ica and the Caribbean releases Caribbean environment OUTLOOK (CEO), an over view report on the state of the environ ment in the Caribbean, one of three spe cial "island group" reports produced as part of the biennial UNEP Global Envi ronment Outlook (GEO II). The Univer sity of the West Indies (Center for Envi ronment and Development) and Island Resources Foundation participated in writing the report. The CEO report emphasizes that most of the Caribbean environmental issues that will demand policy attention in the new century are ones that are already well known. Future priorities will be aggra vated forms of today's environmental problems, their emergence due primarily to a lack of proactive preventive action. In November, UNEP, UNDP, and Trinidad's Environmental Management Agency sponsored a workshop in Port of Spain, attended by IRF's BRUCE POTTER. The training session focused on: preparation of national environmental plans in a common, GEO-compatible framework for State-of-the-Environment reporting, environmental policy analysis, and the formulation of models and scenarios for forecasting future condi tions. Members of the workshop organ ized a regional CARIBBEAN ASSESSMENT mail list for sharing information. Anyone can join by sending a blank email to: . Richord Winchell |lell), former director of the BERMUDA AQUARIUM, MUSEUM AND ZOO, is pictured with Ed and Judith Towle during Dr. Towle's recent consultancy in Bermudo to participate in a forum on manoging the island's marine re sources. THE YEAR 1999 ... AND BEYOND (continued from page 1) BVI ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTRE By year's end, the ISLAND SYSTEMS ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTRE had been fully set up by Foundation staff at the BVI facility provided by H. LAVITY STOUTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE. A schedule for its use by students, researchers and other visitors will be announced early in 2000. The core of the Foundation's exten sive environmental research library was donated last year to the Community College. It will be maintained initially by the Foundation at the Main Street Annex Building, which the College currently shares with the University of the West Indies School of Continuing Studies in Road Town. JEAN-PIERRE BACIE (leftl and ED JOWIE build bookshelves lor the new BVI library in Road Town. Jean-Pierre, Ed and Judith Towle and interns lori Tesolin and Wollram Dressier spent six weeks in the loll ol 1999 setting up the BVI facility. Their task included unpacking, sorting, and shelving over 500 boxes ol refer ence documents and library books shipped Irom St. Thomas to Tortolo. Early in the year, the Antiguan Government launched a new initiative as part of its obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity. As it began this proc ess, the Government contacted Island Re sources Foundation for assistance. Foun dation program associate BRUCE HORWITH worked with the country to carry out a "stocktaking" of Antigua's biotic resources. The resulting report includes an inventory of what is, and is not, known about biodi versity in Antigua, Barbuda and Redonda, provides a preliminary identification of conservation priorities and threats to biodi versity loss, and forms a background framework for developing Antigua's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. In addition to extensive interdisciplinary holdings on each Caribbean island and on the wider Caribbean region, the new Information Centre also includes island-focused collections dealing with insular ecosystems, biodiversity, wildlife, fisher ies, marine and coastal resource management, forestry and watersheds, tourism, pollution control, economic growth, land use planning, natural hazards and disaster mitigation, parks and protected areas, and marine archaeology. Also available, at both large and small scale, is an extensive collection of terrestrial, coastal and marine maps and charts of the Caribbean region and each island system, including most satellite islands and cays. Community-focused workshops and seminars on environ mental, conservation and sustainability issues and on public uses for the new Information Centre are being planned in conjunction with the Community College and the BVI National Parks Trust. Persons interested in receiving program an nouncements or in volunteering to help with the new Centre or its community service/outreach program are invited to contact Dr. Edward Towle at or call the BVI office at 284.494.6954. BIODIVERSITY UPDATE A key element of the Foundation's biodiversity PROGRAM is support for technical studies and research to expand the biodi versity information base in the eastern Caribbean. To advance this program objective in 1999, the Foundation provided tech nical support and services for the Government of Antigua- Barbuda and for two NGOs in St. Kitts and Nevis. In St. Kitts and Nevis, the Foundation has been working with the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society and the St. Christopher Heritage Society to prepare: • A Biodiversity Profile of St. Kitts and Nevis • A Vegetation Classification of St. Kitts and Nevis Both studies were completed in November and submitted to our in-country partners. As we look ahead to the year 2000 and beyond, the Foundation foresees a promising opportunity to build on its 27-year expe rience base of proven island conservation work by: • Strengthening its historic, low-key leadership role with NGOs. • Devising more effective means of biodiversity information generation, mapping, access, and management, specifi cally for enhanced strategic planning and environmental conservation within the Caribbean. • Broadening the base of support for more effective wildlife and habitat protection and ecosystem management. • Joining forces with Community College scientists in plan ning a BVI component for our biodiversity program. It follows, of course, that new funding sources and mecha nisms, and perhaps new partnerships and new methods of collaboration, will be required for addressing these tasks in an expeditious fashion. In the meanwhile, we look forward to the continued challenge of employing sound science to inform public policy in the search for ecosystem integrity and sustainability. For island societies, this is an especially delicate balancing act. We invite your counsel and would welcome your support. Let us hear from you—we'd love to have you on our team! O SUPPORT ISLAND RESOURCES FOUNDATION Make a generous contribution to help the Foundation maintain its commitment to islands. Annual memberships start at US $35 for individuals and US$200 for institutions and corporations. For US Ux payers, all contributions are deductible under Internal Revenue Service guidelines.