Minister for Sustainability & Climate Resiliency tours Department of Environment

By Hannah Reid Ford, MSc

Newly appointed Minister for Sustainability & Climate Resiliency Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks recently visited the Department of Environment (DoE) to tour the facilities and meet with staff.

During her visit, Minister Ebanks-Wilks learned more about the important work of the Operations, Enforcement, Marine Research, Terrestrial Research and Environmental Management sections of the DoE.

“The DoE is made up of a number of small but mighty teams that work tirelessly to protect our natural resources for the benefit of current and future generations. I would like to thank the leadership and staff of the DoE for their hard work and continued dedication. With a staff complement that is 90% Caymanian, it is inspiring to see the next generation of scientists, conservation officers, and environmental managers playing such an important role in the preservation of our living heritage,” Minister Ebanks-Wilks said.

Department of Environment Director, Gina Ebanks-Petrie welcomed Minister Ebanks-Wilks and was eager to share some of the achievements and challenges of the DoE team. “I’m always so proud to introduce our team of dedicated professionals who advocate for Cayman’s native species and habitats in so many critical ways,” she said “but I also know how challenging it can be for people to fully understand some of the more technical or procedural aspects behind our research, operations and advice so it was a pleasure to be able to spend time with our new Minister to dive a little deeper into what we do.”

The tour also included a visit to the DoE’s recently unveiled Coral Spawning Lab. Sponsored by a private sector donation from the Fosters Group, the Lab enables the DoE team to artificially stimulate spawning events, study resilient coral specimens, and, potentially, reseed local reefs with new corals.

Minister Ebanks-Wilks said local research is an important part of building resiliency to global climate change.

“With rising temperatures causing more frequent and severe coral bleaching events, our beautiful reef systems are increasingly being impacted by climate change. Not only do our coral reefs support our fisheries and our tourism product, they also protect our communities from the impacts of storms. Protecting our reefs protects our people,’ she said.

To learn more about the DoE, please visit https://doe.ky/  or follow the DoE on social media.