Cayman National donates fifty trees at Malportas Pond Bird Sanctuary

Cayman National has donated fifty trees to the National Trust for the Cayman Islands to restore dry forest habitat along Malportas Pond Bird Sanctuary in North Side. At an event held on Friday 1 November, Cayman National’s senior leadership team joined National Trust staff and representatives from the Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency to plant a selection of native trees which produce fruit and flowers that attract birds.

The trees will form the entrance to 5 acres of land the National Trust acquired in 2019 adjacent to Malportas Pond which is a birding hotspot for local and migratory birds including herons, ducks and the famous flamingo visitor from earlier this year. The shores of the pond are an important breeding ground for Least Terns whose numbers are in decline.

Cayman National is donating the fifty trees as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations this year. As a long-term supporter of the National Trust, Cayman National is a corporate member and sponsored a youth delegate to attend the United Nation’s COP28 in Dubai last year, Go Green radio tips, their Dive Into Maritime Heritage fundraiser and more.

“Cayman National’s commitment to sustainability and ESG principles encompasses products and services, such as our GreenLiving programme, to the way we give back in the community,” said Janet Hislop. “The National Trust does invaluable work in conserving our natural environment and preserving our built heritage and we are proud to partner with them on this tree planting initiative.”

The trees donated by Cayman National will line both sides of the pathway leading from the entrance on North Side Road to Malportas Pond, providing shade for visitors as well as food for local wildlife. The National Trust also has plans to build two viewing platform for birdwatchers to enjoy the diversity of wildlife at Malportas Pond.

The mangroves fringing the ponds are home to West Indian Whistling Ducks, while Snowy Egrets use the island in the middle of the pond as an overnight roost. Migratory visitors include Roseate Spoonbills, American Avocets and flocks of White-rumped Sandpipers which stopover each year on their 9,000-mile trip from South America to Canada.

“The National Trust greatly appreciates the community spirit of Cayman National in support of our efforts to rehabilitate and preserve the coastal areas surrounding Malportas Pond,” said Frank Roulstone, Executive Director of the National Trust. “The dry woodland ecosystem around the pond supports a diverse range of native animals and plants, some of which are unique to these islands.”

Malportas Pond Bird Sanctuary is admission-free and is open to year-round to birdwatchers and visitors in North Side.