 Photo: Jeffrey P. Roberts |
People Taking Care of Places
Speaker: Giles Romulus
File size: 341k
Play AudioSt. 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.