National Trust Restores Tourism & Historical Sites

With the return of cruise ships to Grand Cayman, the focus on clearing up key tourism routes remains crucial to the recovery process. The National Trust is doing its part by concentrating on restoring their major tourism and historical sites, aiming to quickly have them up and running.

To this end, teams of volunteers worked on clearing the northern end of the Mastic Trail the weekend of 7 November. Damage to the southern end of the trail was substantial but a one-mile loop walk should be open by the end of the month.

Full restoration of the trail, including the southern end, should be complete by the middle of January 2005. However, due to extensive upper limb tree damage, it may be longer before there is much needed shade along the walk.

General Manager of the National Trust, Frank Roulstone advises everyone to exercise caution during the clean up process, explaining: “In the haste to remove hurricane debris, many trees are being removed that could be salvaged. If a tree is leaning, it can be straightened and will re-root itself.”

Three more environmental reserves will have reopened, free to the public, by the end of January; the Brac Parrot Reserve and Booby Pond Nature Reserve on Little Cayman are already open, while the Governor Michael Gore Bird Sanctuary which received extensive damage to vegetation, paths and viewing platforms, plans to re-open 15 January.

Plants and trees at the Botanic Park also suffered extensive wind damage but the trust’s Blue Iguana Recovery Project, a captive breeding facility for more than 200 Cayman Blue Iguana’s, is ready to open when the park is restored.

Of the 11 historical sites maintained by the National Trust, eight expect to be open by the end of December. The Bodden Town Guardhouse, Dr. Roy’s Ironshore and Fort George in George Town all faired well during the storm, only requiring a cleanup. The Watler Cemetery on the south coast received little damage and will be re-opened by the end of November. The East End Lighthouse Park will open when the entrance road is restored and the Savannah Schoolhouse is open by appointment, for small groups. The Heritage Beach, bordering Frank Sound on the south side, has large amounts of debris and suffered loss of signage and huts but plans to re-open 15 December.

Other sites including Jackson’s Wall, Miss Izzy’s Schoolhouse in West Bay and The Mission House in East End were all severely damaged by the storm and will be closed until further notice.

Those interested in volunteering for the National Trust can contact Frank Roulstone on 926-2696.

The National Trust Visitors Centre on Grand Cayman is temporarily located in Webster House, 359 South Church Street. Open Mon-Fri 9:30am – 5:30pm.

The National Trust Visitors Centre on Little Cayman is open Mon-Fri 3pm – 5pm.

The National Trust Office on Cayman Brac on White Bay Rd, North Coast, is open by appointment.