In fact, as a Grenadian, I am most grateful for the intervention by the Society on behalf of the people of Grenada to help protect Grenada’s National Symbol – the Grenada Dove. He is right to stress the need for national government to support permanent protection in the area of their habitat at Mount Hartman National Park.

I find the minister’s immediate response to what can be described as this outrage to be weak and not reassuring.  Her comments are without substance. In light of the proposed development at Mount Hartman, the public, including the Wildlife Conservation Society, needs to be told how the government and developers propose to protect the habitat area and when.

Is the area going to be protected before, during or after the development takes place? Will the wildlife conservation organisations be involved and, if so, how soon? Come on, Minister, we don’t need sound bites, we need delivery.

I would like to appeal to the SCSCB and all other wildlife organisations in the Caribbean for help in getting the humming birds back in the wild in Grenada. I have great memories of humming birds (known then as “doctor bird”) as a child growing up in Grenada. Having returned to my homeland after some 57 years for a holiday, I was told by locals the birds have simply disappeared since Hurricane Ivan. I have visited Grenada three times since and I have never seen one. Grenada needs help to bring these birds back to the island. We need support from the wildlife organisations and neighbouring islands to bring these birds back to Grenada and release them in the wild. Please help!

The humming birds are extremely commonplace in Trinidad (known as the Land of the Humming Birds) and I am confident that the Trinidad and Tobago government would co-operate with the people of Grenada in allowing the birds to be taken from their territory and released in the wild in Grenada.

Winston Strachan
Northampton
England