Forty-Third Annual General Meeting of the National Trust Report of the Chairperson, Alison King

PROGRAMME REPORTS

CONSERVATION

The Conservation Department continues to maintain and monitor our sites. Tree risk assessments and management exercises were done at Pigeon Island and Morne Pavillon to improve overall forest health and visitor safety. Tools and equipment were procured and maintained regularly to improve on productivity.

A new trail was created at the PINL from the Signal Peak train to the Two Gun Battery. This project was fully funded by LUCELEC.

Built Heritage:

Listing of Buildings The Register of Historic Buildings produced in 2014 was updated as part of a summer internship programme with seven students from Sir Arthur Lewis Community College- Division of Technical Education and Management Studies. Other collaborators on this initiative were the Department of Surveys and the Land Registry in the Ministry of Physical Development. These agencies provided much needed support to help address the data gaps that existed from the initial Assessment. Their support for this activity resulted in completion of the current dataset of Historic Building in Saint Lucia. Further support for this initiative was provided by Fauna and Flora International (FFI), with a donation of smart phones equipped with the open source software called Cyber tracker, to assist in collating data for the assessments of historic buildings island wide.

A focus group comprising stakeholders from local cultural heritage organizations and the legal officer in the Department of Physical Development met to review the draft legislation for the conservation of historic buildings, objects and sites. This work is continuing.

Married Women’s Quarters The Office of the Prime Minister requested support from a friendly government to provide funding to undertake an engineering assessment at the Married Women’s Quarters, to make recommendations for remedial measures to address the structural damage to the building and to develop architectural and engineering plans for its restoration. This will be the next step in fulfilment of our mandate to convert the property into a national museum.

Fort Rodney Restoration - In 2016 the south east corner of Fort Rodney collapsed. Mr. John Martin, a Trust member from the UK and a master craftsman in the restoration of historic buildings volunteered his services to restore the fort. We tried unsuccessfully to get the building technology faculty and students from the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College engaged in this project to develop skills in lime mortar technology. However, two local masons and staff of the Trust worked along with Mr Martin, so some skills transfer was achieved. Mr Martin also visited the St Mary’s College, the Catholic Church and a first generation sugar mill at Ti-Tou in Laborie to examine the structures and make recommendations to correct structural deficiencies.

Of the Week This initiative was implemented to foster appreciation and awareness of our heritage. It took the form of weekly postings of images and descriptions of our cultural heritage on Instagram and Facebook. The feedback was quite encouraging.

Oral Mobile History and Photo Voice The Conservation and Advocacy departments participated in a project titled “Community Elicitation through Oral Mobile and Photo Voice”, implemented by the Cultural Development Foundation with sponsorship provided by the Organization of American States (OAS). This project seeks to protect and promote the cultural heritage of Saint Lucia. The general topic for the activity was entitled “Wooden Treasures”. Ten youngsters from the communities of Soufriere and Choiseul conducted audio-visual interviews and recorded community appreciation of distinctive aspects of Saint Lucia's built heritage. The information gathered will be exhibited and thereafter shared with the Ministry of Tourism to promote sites with historic assets.

Walcott Place Regular tours have resumed at Walcott House following the January 2019 Nobel Laureate Festival activities. The Constituency Council continues to support our efforts to maintain the building and to keep it open, but with the apparent disappearance of the funds which was under government’s management, to support this project, our continued investments in this initiative may have to be revisited.

The Julia and Edward Parris Scholarship is still offered to student from the Grass Street Community. The Trust is working with the Grass Street Development Association to identify new applicants for the Programme annually. Unfortunately, there was, and continue to be political influences on the Committee which make it all but dysfunctional.

Natural Heritage:

Fer-de-Lance Snake (Bothrops caribbaeus) Although this project is completed, we continue to receive requests for training in Snake Bite Safety, which we provide in collaboration with the Forestry Department. Additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for snakebite safety was handed over to the Forestry Department for use when handling the species.

White Breasted Thrasher As we reported last year, the Trust continued to work with the Lorax Club from Dennery in initiatives to protect this species. During this year we conducted training sessions with the Club members, developed brochures and produced exercise books promoting White Breasted Thrasher conservation and constructed models of the bird for display. We also entered into a partnership with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Forestry and Lands Department to implement communications and outreach under a Betty Petersen Conservation funded project which will be implemented by Durrell.

PSEPA Management Plan Implementation The Saint Lucia National Trust provided technical support to the Au Picon Charcoal and Agricultural Producers Group to implement two donor funded projects. The first was funded by the Global Environment Facility/Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP) and sought to build the capacity of charcoal producers to propagate seedlings for replanting. Eighteen charcoal farmers participated in the training. The second initiative provided support to the same group to build capacity in Apiculture. It was funded by the Direct Aid Programme from the Government of Australia. These initiatives added new skills and livelihood opportunities for the farmers operating within the Ma Kote Mangrove.

Species Conservation The Trust received grant funding from the Organisation of American States (OAS) under their Reef Check programme to implement a Marine Turtle Conservation Programme. Project activities included marine turtle awareness, marine turtle nesting and hatching data collection, policy review on the management of marine turtles, rapid sea food assessment survey, and CARICOM networking for improved marine turtle conservation.

Saint Lucia Coalition of Civil Society Organisations: During this period, project implementation continued with the CSO mentorship training programme conducted along with the production of a Public Outreach and Communication plan. Additional activities included a review of the National NGO Act, and training in Human Rights reporting.

Training - Staff within the Conservation Department received training in the following areas: • Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) for improved conservation and mapping of trends • National Environmental Information Systems under the GEF funded Multilateral Environmental Agreements Project – contribution of environmental data to national data for monitoring of MEAs;  Scenario Planning for Environmental Management • BIOPAMA Protected Areas Management Effectiveness Training (PAME) – improve monitoring and management of protected areas • Doing Work Well training

Grant Proposal Writing: Four grant proposals were written seeking international major donor funding in the following areas: • Mexican Embassy Heritage Conservation and associated livelihoods project • Caribbean Biodiversity Fund Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) facility Proposal – PINL and PSEPA • Mohammed Fund Proposal – for the protection of the White Breasted Thrasher  Project proposal for the development of the married Women’s Quarters

COMMUNICATIONS & ADVOCACY

Conservation Talk On February 12, 2019, seven members from Corinth Secondary School Environmental Club received a Talk on the Trust’s natural heritage conservation and advocacy work as well as a guided tour of Pigeon Island National Landmark by one of our Customer Service and Safety Representatives.

Advocacy Support – Raising Awareness about Ocean Conservation We provided support to the National Conservation Authority (NCA) to carry out the ‘Protecting Paradise: A Beach Education & Action Campaign’ from February 26, 2019 – April 8, 2019.

 On February 26, 2019 one hundred and twenty-six (126) students participated in a movie screening of Our Blue Planet at the Caribbean Cinema. This BBC documentary highlighted human impacts on the oceans worldwide and introduced some of the scientists and innovators working to protect our ocean resources. Thereafter, there was a Questions & Answer Session with resource persons from various agencies including the Trust. The participating schools were: Marchand Combined, Corinth Secondary, Gros Islet Secondary, Dennery Primary, Leon Hess Comprehensive and Piaye Secondary.

 A Beach Education Day was staged on March 7th at Vigie Beach. There were 53 students from the Marchand Combined, Corinth Secondary and Gros Islet Secondary schools. They spent 2 hours at Vigie Beach learning about the issues facing beach ecosystems, highlighting littering as a major concern. Students rotated amongst five activity stations operated by four environmental organization/agency - the SLNT, the NCA, the Caribbean Student Environmental Alliance and the Department of Fisheries. Students then participated in a trash bin painting contest from March 18th – 29th. The completed bins were displayed at the National Science Fair on March 29th at the Derek Walcott Square where Science Fair participants and attendees voted for their favourite design. Over 300 persons participated in the voting. We also used this opportunity to speak about the work of the Trust and promote membership.

 On April 3rd three of the schools that competed in the Bin Painting competition attended a prize giving at the Pigeon Island National Landmark. We also provided a guided tour of the Landmark and on April 8th the completed bins were unveiled to the media at Vigie Beach.

World Heritage Day As part of ongoing efforts by the Trust to educate young people on the history of Saint Lucia, a heritage tour of the city of Castries was organized for secondary school students within the Castries basin. Historian, Dr Gregor Williams served as the guide for a historical journey through the city of Castries where changes in its physical landscape over the years were highlighted. Dr Williams shared vivid memories of his personal experiences growing up in Castries and of historic events like the 1948 Castries fire and the bombing in Castries Harbour during World War 2. They also visited Married Women’s Quarters and Meadows Battery at Vigie, the National Archives and Walcott Place. Participating schools were Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary, Bocage Secondary and the St. Joseph’s Convent Secondary. This activity was held on March 20, 2019.

We are INTO Video As a proud member of International National Trusts Organisation (INTO), an umbrella body for the global family of Trusts, whose mission it is to “promote the conservation and enhancement of the heritage of all nations for the benefit of the people of the world and future generations”, we participated in a video project showcasing some of our sites and conservation work. This video was shared at the INTO Conference in (March,2019) and can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/kTe196NPyxE

World Biological Diversity Day On May 22nd we partnered again with Department of Sustainable Development, Department of Fisheries, Department of Forestry and the OECS Commission to stage a Food & Health Fair at our Provost Park site at Morne Fortune. The theme for International Day for Biological Diversity 2019 was Our Biodiversity Our Food Our Health. We used our booth to raise awareness about our conservation work and to encourage passers-by to become members.

World Environment Day & World Oceans Day We supported activities coordinated by the Department of Sustainable Development, Department of Fisheries, Department of Forestry, the OECS Commission, Caribbean Student Environmental Alliance and the Soufriere Marine Management Association in observance of World Environment Day (June 5th) and World Oceans Day (June 8th). On June 5th we were present at an Information Desk at Massy Waterfront and made an appearance on RCI’s ‘The Lunchroom’ programme. On June 7th a conservation talk, tree planting and air quality testing were done at the Dennery Primary School and we also hosted a movie presentation of ‘Our Blue Planet’ and made an educational presentation at the Clendon Mason Secondary School. On June 8th we supported a Lionfish Derby and underwater clean-up in Soufriere.

Youth Environment Forum A Youth Environment Forum (YEF) was held in Soufriere from August 19-23, 2019 under the theme "From Land to Sea: Good Land Practices for a Healthy Coast". Through in-class presentations and field trips, forty participants learned all about how our practices on land affect what happens in the sea. The Soufriere Marine Management Association Inc., Water Resources Management Authority, SLNT’s Southern Office, Caribbean Student Environmental Alliance, Soufriere Marine Management Association Inc. and Saint Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority all made engaging presentations to help shape a more environmentally conscious generation. Our main partner and sponsor was Caribbean Aqua- Terrestrial Solutions Programme. Other sponsors were Massy Stores and the Department of Sustainable Development.

SLNT’s Anniversary Activities Trust Pioneers Lecture: The 6th annual Trust Pioneers Lecture was staged on September 24, 2019. The theme for this year - “Rural Landscapes: Benefits to our Communities” was inspired by the World Heritage Day 2019 theme ‘Rural Landscapes’. The Panellists and Presenters were Jimmy Clavier - Cultural Development Foundation; Kemuel Jean Baptiste - Department of Agriculture, Augustin Dominique – Pitons Management Area Office, Darnley Lebourne – Rural Development Animator and SLNT Director – Bishnu Tulsie. These lectures are aimed to raise the level of awareness of the Trust’s role in heritage conservation by providing a platform for individuals from all sectors of society to engage in stimulating and comprehensive discussion on heritage management issues.

Open Day: On September 26th, the Trust’s 44th Anniversary, we staged an Open Day at the Pigeon Island National Landmark. Over 100 students from the Bouton Combined School, Des Barras Combined School, Anse Ger Secondary School and the Anse la Raye Care Centre delved into the rich history of the Landmark through a guided tour of the site. They also learned more about the work of the Trust, from our turtle conservation efforts to our offshore island monitoring programme. Also, since most of the students reside or attend school where the Fer de Lance exists, a video and presentation were shared about how they can avoid being bitten and what they should do in the event that they are. Trust Member and Miss Universe Saint Lucia Bebiana Mangal made an appearance at both the Trust Pioneers Lecture and Open Day activities.

Escazú Agreement (Access Rights ‘Principle 10’) The Trust maintained its advocacy efforts for Saint Lucia to ratify the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Participation and Justice in Environment Matters (Escazú Agreement). We teamed up with the Department of Sustainable Development and the Department of Fisheries to raise awareness in several schools about conservation issues and the importance of the Agreement. On July 23rd we made a virtual presentation at a workshop organized by CANARI on civil society's role in shaping the Agreement and promoting early ratification and implementation throughout the region. The Trust will be receiving funds from the Open Society Foundation to promote ratification of the Agreement in Saint Lucia.

Dolphinarium Advocacy We continued our advocacy against the establishment of a dolphin park in Saint Lucia by making several posts on social media and sending emails to members about countries that were instituting bans on dolphins in captivity or closing down dolphin parks.

Social Media Presence Our social media presence continued to grow during the period under review. We have used Facebook to share the numerous projects and programmes being undertaken by the Trust and like-minded organizations who share our conservation mandate. Many of our posts continue to reach thousands of people locally, regionally and internationally. As at October 17, 2019 our Saint Lucia National Trust Facebook page had 4,640 likes and 4,823 followers.

Documentation Centre During the period under review, the Documentation Centre received twelve requests for information from students, overseas based researchers and curious Saint Lucians who wished to know more about their island. One regular visitor to the Centre is a Saint Lucian who is constantly looking for historical information and old photos of Saint Lucia to populate his Facebook page. We continue to increase our collection through procurement of reference materials that speak to our mandate. The SLNT has been the recipient of several publications from Saint Lucian authors. We are still experiencing some technical hitches with the Documentation Centre Database and as a result we were only able to input forty-five entries. Nonetheless, we have been scanning documents in preparation for an electronic database, hopefully to be introduced in the coming year.

MEMBERSHIP

Quarterly Membership Meetings Two Membership meetings were held during the period under review to update members on various projects, to solicit their guidance on how to tackle certain issues and to ascertain feedback on the draft Strategic Plan. The first meeting was held in the village of Laborie on March 16th. Updates were given on the proposed dolphinarium project and the financial constraints since the removal of the subvention in 2017. After the meeting, members enjoyed a brief tour of Ti-Tou, an enchanting beach in Laborie where they saw the ruins of a first generation sugar mill. Members participated in a useful discussion on measures that can be taken to preserve the ruins which form part of the community’s rich historical (industrial) heritage. The 2nd meeting was held on July 20th at the Rodney Bay Commercial Centre. Both meetings featured a presentation on the draft Strategic Plan by consultant, Mr. Yves Renard.

Membership Field Trips/Activities During the period under review a number of trips/activities were held to engage and help engender a greater sense of appreciation amongst our members and non-members for our natural and built heritage. They are as follows:  On February 2nd we collaborated with Lucian Style Experiences to stage the Mount Pimard Historical and Scenic Hike. Participants received goody bags filled with five fingers, golden apples, gooseberries, tamarind, coconut, bananas and guavas.  On February 22nd a few of our members challenged themselves in the Saint Lucia Independence Cross Country Rainforest Hike organized by Eco Adventures.  Members and non-members took part in ‘Beekeeping and Sea Moss Farming’ sessions on April 6th and 20th in Vieux Fort.  On September 28th we coordinated a special anniversary tour of Maria Major. The 30 odd participants who took the time to bask in this Southern gem had an enjoyable time.

Earth Day 2019  We staged a Sὸlèy Lévé Walkabout at SLNT's Morne Pavillon. Thanks to Adams Toussaint, SLNT Member and Saint Lucia Country Manager - Fauna & Flora International who was on hand to share his knowledge about the plant and bird species on the site. The theme for Earth Day was ‘Protect Our Species’.  Part 2 of our Earth Day 2019 northern activities was a clean-up from the Cap Estate Highway to Pigeon Island National Landmark on Sunday, April 28th. Eleven bags of garbage, including micro plastics, bottles, food containers, car parts, and various metals and plastics were collected. Thanks to SLNT Members and staff, JICA Saint Lucia Office volunteers, Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean and Massy Stores Saint Lucia for preventing this garbage from negatively affecting our land and marine species. The group enjoyed a lovely breakfast after their hard work.  Earth Day activities were also coordinated by our staff based in the South and members in Soufriere.

Recruitment Drive & Community Outreach  Throughout the period under review we continued to make a concerted effort to engage and recruit non-members at various activities whether organized by the Trust or other agencies. We mounted membership booths at various Trust activities such as the Trust Pioneers Lecture and the GEF Small Grants Programme- Saint Lucia Knowledge Fair which took place at the William Peter Boulevard on December 10th - 11th.  In July we also promoted membership by offering free tickets to Carnival events to persons who signed up or renewed their membership. Thanks to the organizers of Colour Me Red and U4RIA for their continued support.

During the period under review we welcomed 210 new members while 407 renewed their membership. Our membership roll now stands at 2445, of which 830 are financially current.

BUSINESS SERVICES & EVENTS

The strategic aim for the department was to increase revenue generated for the SLNT by:  Promoting PINL as a tourist attraction and venue for private events;  Creating an outdoor cinema experience at PINL; and  Developing new tours outside of PINL.

Promoting PINL as a Tourist Attraction We sought to ensure that PINL would be known to a wide cross-section of visitors. To achieve this, we:  Utilised print media - Brochures were redesigned to showcase all aspects of PINL – historic, nature, wedding venue – and distributed at air and sea ports, as well as hotels in the north of the island - Advertisements have been placed on maps printed for distribution, including: Skyviews map with a distribution of 30,000 to 50,000; Paradise Saint Lucia Map and Tourist Guide with a distribution of 50,000; SLYou Saint Lucia Tourist Map with a distribution of 40,000 to 60,000; and Advertising in the Tropical Traveller.  Advertising in the new publication Destination Saint Lucia Compass Handbook, which targets the yachting sector. The Handbook, commissioned by the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, will be launched at this year’s ARC and will be distributed to the skipper and owner of each competing boat. The SLNT also created a special monthly pass targeting yachties that will be sold at a discount.  We renewed our advertising with Saint Lucia Yellow Pages

Increased use of social media The SLNT’s Instagram pages promoting Weddings and the SLNT were resuscitated. Posts are done weekly and boosted posts (paid) are done more regularly to promote the SLNT and PINL.

Facebook continues to be the Trust’s main social media interface with an aggregate of over 12,000 followers across all our pages. The SLNT and PINL pages remain the most popular with over 4,000 followers each.

Re-evaluated previous advertising methods DCA approval was sought and received to reinstate a PINL billboard at the entrance of Robert Devaux Drive. The billboard was redesigned and increased in size to make more visible. It was erected and will remain in place until at least May 2020 when DCA’s approval expires. An application to renew the approval will be submitted prior to the expiration date.

We have been in talks with Interspace Airport Advertising, the agency responsible for selling advertising at Hewanorra and GFL Charles Airports, to resume advertising at the airports.

Extended Operating Hours at PINL Based on requests from SLNT members and other PINL visitors we extended the opening hours at PINL from 8:30am – 5:00pm to 8:30am to 6:30pm during the ‘summer’ months. The effort was well received by members in particular; however it did not generate any significant increase in revenue. Despite the poor performance, we will offer the extended hours in the summer of 2020, with extensive promotion to our tour partners and members.

Increased the Number of Beach Umbrellas In 2018 we purchased 36 beach umbrellas for rent to our customers at PINL. Based on demand, this year we purchased an additional 100 umbrellas of a stronger quality and with a larger umbrella span. The umbrellas remain in high demand and could develop into a reliable revenue stream for the Trust.

Promoting PINL as a Venue for Private Events PINL remains a popular venue for mass crowd events and smaller, private events such as weddings and receptions. In July alone, we hosted seven mass crowd events, two more than July 2018. Out of concern for the impacts on the grounds and to increase net revenue from these events, the SLNT has revised its costing mechanism and increased booking fees for mass events. This has not reduced demand, as bookings for 2020 are expected to increase.

To increase net revenue for weddings the SLNT has replaced damaged tables and increased their overall numbers. Our damaged 20’x20’ and 20’x40’ tents have been repaired and are ready for rental. Our stock of tablecloths, drapery and other decorative items has been increased. The expanded stock should result in a decrease of leakages to outside vendors.

Creating an Outdoor Cinema Experience at PINL A business plan for the outdoor cinema was created and approved by Council in 2018. The specifications for the audio-visual equipment proposed in the business plan were reviewed by a professional who sources and operates projectors, lighting and sound equipment for outdoor venues, and were found unsuitable for our needs. His recommendations far exceeded our budget and the outdoor cinema has been shelved for now.

Developing New Tours Outside of PINL The Northern Fortifications of Saint Lucia Tour is a 4-hour tour that takes guests to the SLNT’s sites at Morne Fortune, Married Women’s Quarters and Meadow Battery at Vigie, and ends at PINL. The tour focuses on the 18th century history of those sites. It was due to be rolled out in November/December of 2018 for the start of the cruise season. However, the preparation work needed, including research on the various sites, script writing, and training tour guides took longer than planned. The tour is now scheduled for launch in December. The promotion strategy for selling the tour will include:  In person presentations to tour desk operators at the hotels. A 10% commission will be offered for every tour sold.  Designing and distributing brochures to hotels, airports, heritage tours and taxi operators at La Place Carenage and Pointe Seraphine.  Special rates for school tours.  Media launch  Social media promoted posts.

Customers will be able to book and pay for tours via the SLNT website, www.slunatrust.org. Following the Tour rollout, a determination will be made as to whether the tour will be offered to tour operators such as Cox and Co., for resale.

CORPORATE SERVICES

Staff Matters During the year the Programme Assistant for Membership, Ms. Melissa Mc Lauren tendered her resignation and the post is expected to be filled shortly. Council has also approved the recruitment of a Programme Assistant for Communications & Advocacy. It is our expectation that with the recruitment of additional staff, our communications and advocacy work programme will evolve and expand.

Staff Development The Trust continues to receive training support from partners as follows: - Participation in the 47th Annual meeting of the American Institute for Conservation and Artistic Work (AIC) in Connecticut and New York. This was partly sponsored by AIC through a grant from the Getty Foundation to enable conservation professionals from Latin America and the Caribbean to participate in the 2019 conference. This year’s theme was "New Tools, Techniques, and Tactics in Conservation and Collection Care". The conference addressed practical, method-focused treatment projects; advances in collections care and management; discoveries in conservation science; and conservation initiatives that intentionally have a positive impact on communities. There were also workshops centred on the importance of Insurance & Risk Management, emergency recovery of audio visual and electronic media.

- Participation in the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST) annual general meeting (AGM) in Suriname, . The aim of the meeting was to share information on national and regional-level sea turtle research, management, and outreach programs; to learn from peer experiences; to facilitate networking and partnerships; and to strengthen science-based conservation programming. The SLNT has been supporting marine turtle conservation within the PSEPA for the past four years and has benefitted for guidance from experts including WIDECAST itself. This meeting provided the opportunity to strengthen connections and have direct contact with other conservationists and experts in the field.

- Participation in the Peer-to-Peer Learning Exchange on Sustainable Financing for Caribbean Marine Protected Areas. This was held in Providenciales, the Turks & Caicos Islands. This learning exchange provided capacity development opportunities as follows: • Exchange experiences, success stories and lessons learned on sustainable financing with other Caribbean MPA managers; • Assessing the context for sustainable financing for the Pointe Sable Environmental Protection Area (PSEPA) and identify feasible strategies for sustainable financing, with input from peers and protected area financing experts; • Gaining insights into tools and approaches for budgeting, financing forecasting, scenario assessment and financial gap analysis to support the implementation of effective sustainable financing strategies;

Participation in Durrell Endangered Species Management Graduate Certificate (DESMAN) This 12-week course is designed to equip conservation professionals with a complete range of skills to maximise their effectiveness at managing or participating in conservation projects. The latest theory and practice of endangered species recovery is taught, and one gains a wide variety of skills in facilitation, management and leadership. Our Programme Assistant based at the southern office, Ms Saphira Hunte, participated in this professional development course.

Participation in the ESCAZU Agreement Meetings These meetings are convened to exchange experiences and good practices between and among countries, with the support of civil society, international organizations and other stakeholders in the effective implementation of environmental access rights and to discuss progress and challenges in the implementation of the Escazú Agreement, with a view to accelerate entry into force.

Security CCTV surveillance cameras were installed at the Pigeon Island National Landmark and plans are afoot to also improve night time security at the Maria Islands Interpretation Centre through the installation of CCTV. Over all, night security at PINL has improved with the commissioning of the new security partner, STISS Inc.

Staff Welfare Rehabilitation and improvement of the Southern Office is complete. This included the installation of air conditioning units and improved work space. The works undertaken have contributed to a drastic improvement to the working conditions at the office.