Seeds of love: forests return to the British Virgin Islands after the hurricanes

Environment · Lorenzo Brenna · 2018-04-24

The aim of the Tourism Board's initiative is to restore the native vegetation damaged by the passage of hurricanes.

After Hurricane Irma struck the British Virgin Islands in September 2017, the islands literally changed colour, as shown by satellite images from Nasa's Copernicus programme. Wind gusts exceeded 300 kilometres per hour and stripped the leaves from almost all the vegetation, devastating the forests and turning the archipelagos brown. To restore the islands' characteristic bright green colour and rebuild the destroyed ecosystems, the Seeds of Love reforestation campaign was launched, promoted by the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board.

Le Isole Vergini Britanniche si trovano a circa 50 miglia a est di Puerto Rico, nell'area nord-occidentale del Mar dei Caraibi, e sono composte da circa sessanta isole, di cui soltanto 15 abitate © Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Dreamweaver — The British Virgin Islands are located approximately 50 miles east of Puerto Rico, in the north-western area of the Caribbean Sea, and consist of around sixty islands, only 15 of which are inhabited © Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Dreamweaver

Planting the future

The British Virgin Islands, an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea, are characterised by lush, unspoilt nature and are — or rather were — covered by dense subtropical forest. The aim of the initiative is precisely to restore the native vegetation destroyed by the passage of Hurricane Irma and Maria, thereby preventing soil erosion and protecting the ecosystem.

How the project came about

The Seeds of Love campaign involves the planting of thousands of trees and plants, including coconut palms, mangroves and cedars. The project grew out of the combination of two initiatives, adopted respectively by the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and by Gabi Romberg, director of the agency representing the destination in Germany. The Caribbean nation donated three thousand fruit plants, while Romberg promoted a fundraising drive in German-speaking markets to purchase coconut palms to be replanted on the beaches of the British Virgin Islands. These donations were supplemented by the local Tourist Board, which purchased a further three thousand coconut palms.

Semi in attesa di essere piantumati — Thanks to donations from various parts of the world and their own determination, the British Virgin Islands have made great strides in rebuilding their forests after the devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria © The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board

Caring for the environment improves lives

"We are extremely grateful for the donations received," said Sharon Flax Brutus, director of the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board. "They not only help to improve our landscape, but also our entire existence. I am pleased that this project is taking shape and I am happy to announce that we have already received the first shipment of plants and intend to distribute them across the four main islands."

Help the forests, plant a tree

In addition to the planting works currently under way, local communities and tourists from around the world staying on the islands will be able to contribute to this major reforestation effort by planting a tree during the Seeds of Love Days, scheduled to coincide with special celebrations such as the recent Earth Day and World Tree Day. It is also possible to make a donation to help fund the purchase of new seedlings and saplings.

Testimonial del progetto Seed of Love — Among the goals of the Seeds of Love campaign is to make the islands even more resilient in the face of future storms. To achieve this, coconut palms will be planted along the beaches to protect them from erosion, white cedars will serve as windbreaks and combat coastal erosion, mangrove seedlings will be planted in wetland areas to stabilise the soil, aid water drainage and provide habitat and breeding grounds for marine wildlife © The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board

There is no tourism without the environment

Protecting the environment of these lush, volcanically formed islands is essential — not only for its immeasurable intrinsic value, but also to ensure that the destination remains a sought-after tourist location. "Tourism is the cornerstone of our economy, but there is no tourism business without the environment," explained Kedrick Pickering, Minister of Natural Resources and Labour. "It is extremely important for us to invest in, protect and promote our natural heritage. Reforestation is therefore a necessary component of the recovery process."