Photo: Jeffrey P. Roberts

People Taking Care of Places
Speaker: Giles Romulus
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St. Lucia National Trust, St. Lucia, West Indies
"Conservation in a place like St. Lucia has to be treated differently…. You are trying to conserve the land, but you must also see about the survival needs of the communities that are dependent on the land. Therefore, the approaches have to be different." - Giles Romulus

Photo: Chester Williams, courtesy of St. Lucia National Trust

Born and raised on the island nation of St. Lucia in the eastern Caribbean, Giles Romulus has spent the last decade working to protect the special places of the country he loves. Giles has been instrumental in helping to develop a nationwide system of protected areas for the island. In July 1999, Giles became the executive director of the St. Lucia National Trust, a quasi-governmental membership and nonprofit organization created by an act of Parliament in 1975 to conserve the natural and cultural heritage of the island.

The trust manages St. Lucia's most important historic and archaeological sites and natural areas. The trust also advises the government on development proposals, provides technical assistance to landowners, and conducts educational programs for children and adults. In all of its work, the trust emphasizes partnerships, sustainability, and integration of the needs and desires of local communities with other conservation goals.