News
DECR Launches Important Tropical Plant Areas & Species in TCI Project
#TurksandCaicos, May 19, 2022 – The Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) along with visiting scientists from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) will launch the DarwinPlus 114 Project Tropical Important Plant Areas and Important Plant Species in TCI. The project was originally to begin in May 2020, but with Covid-19-related travel restrictions, along with restructuring at DECR and RBG Kew, two years of deferments were necessary. The project has begun and will be officially launched this week in a workshop on Thursday 12 May 2022 beginning at 9:00 AM in the National Environmental Centre.
In reference to the project, DECR Director Lormeka Williams stated, “With the recent completion of the National Physical Development Plan, the signing of the Climate Change Charter, and the review of the National Parks Ordinance, we are poised and ready to utilise new information on land use and impacts to our Protected Areas and green spaces. We are newly energised to commit to the discovery and description of our most sensitive and significant plant diversity hotspots. We’re inspired by our colleagues in the British Virgin Islands having completed the pilot of this project. We are also ready and excited to find out what these plants are that evade identification and may prove to be something unknown to science.”
The project is focused on identifying Tropical Important Plant Areas (TIPAs) in Turks and Caicos Islands. TIPAs are a network of the key sites for wild plants and threatened habitats identified using scientifically robust data. They are not legal designations, but a means to identify the most important sites for wild plant diversity and to inform the protection and management of sites. Identifying TIPAs will help prevent the global loss of plant diversity, whilst safeguarding the role of plants as primary producers and providers of ecosystem infrastructure, products, and services.
TIPAs also provides a framework for Governments to implement target 5 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Global Strategy for Plant Conservation – to ensure the protection of at least 75% of the most important areas for plant diversity of each ecological region by 2020 with effective management in place for conserving plants and their genetic diversity. TIPAs also contribute to implementing the CBD’s Aichi Biodiversity Target 12 – by 2020 the extinction of known threatened species has been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline, has been improved and sustained. Criteria for identification of Tropical Important Plant Areas were developed, and the first nationwide project was completed by RBG Kew and the Virgin Islands National Parks Trust in the British Virgin Islands in 2019. Assistant Director of Research and Development B Naqqi Manco participated in the April 2019 BVI TIPAs Workshop, and discussed the potential to replicate the project with long-established partners at RBG Kew in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Following the TCI TIPAs Launch Workshop, the DECR and RBG Kew team will trial the criteria over several sites of high plant diversity in Providenciales, North Caicos, and Middle Caicos. Over the next three years, the teams will cover other islands as well. Of particular importance will be the Turks and Caicos Islands eight known endemic plant species – those found nowhere else on earth. A secondary component of the project focuses on investigating some unique populations of rare plants in TCI, which may constitute new varieties or even species. RBG Kew will use DNA analysis to explore the relationship of these species to their closest relatives. Importantly, the rare and endemic species will be targeted for IUCN Red Data Listing as well, to assess their wild population status and trends.
Release: DECR
Photo: This beautiful Encyclia orchid is one of the unique groups of plants that will be studied by the project.
Turks and Caicos, May 23, 2026 – Invest Turks and Caicos Islands took center stage at one of the region’s most influential hospitality
investment gatherings this spring, serving as a Platinum Sponsor at ALIS CALA 2026 in Coral Gables, Florida.
Held April 28 to 30 at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel, the conference brought together more than 600 tourism, hotel and investment leaders from over 35 countries focused on the future of hospitality investment in the Caribbean and Latin America.
ALIS CALA — short for the Americas Lodging Investment Summit Caribbean and Latin America — is widely regarded as the region’s premier deal-driven hospitality investment conference. The platform emerged from the merger of the long-running Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) and Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA), creating what organizers describe as a high-level space where investors, developers, lenders, hotel brands and government leaders connect around major regional projects and opportunities.
The event is known for attracting senior decision-makers, with roughly one in three delegates holding titles such as Chairman, CEO, President, Owner or Principal.
Invest Turks and Caicos said its participation focused heavily on showcasing investment opportunities across the territory, particularly in the Family Islands.
CEO Angela Musgrove delivered a presentation highlighting development opportunities in the Turks and Caicos Islands to what the agency
described as a full room of attendees and strong stakeholder interest.
In a statement following the conference, Invest Turks and Caicos said discussions centered on tourism expansion, sustainable development and long-term investment partnerships designed to position the Turks and Caicos Islands as a leading investment destination in the region.
The agency added that it looks forward to continuing conversations started at ALIS CALA and building new partnerships with investors, developers and strategic stakeholders interested in growth opportunities throughout the islands.
The conference itself focused heavily on capital access, hotel development pipelines, mixed-use tourism projects and investment confidence throughout the Caribbean basin — sectors where Turks and Caicos continues to attract increasing international attention.
The Rick Fox Political Timeline
“Are You Thinking About Politics?”
Fox publicly acknowledged growing calls for him to enter Bahamian politics, saying he had been hearing from women, youth, business owners and everyday Bahamians who were “ready for something different.”
October 19, 2025
“Then Jump, Man.”
Fox revealed a conversation with NBA legend Michael Jordan, who encouraged him to enter politics after asking whether he believed he could help young Bahamians.
November 24, 2025
“The Bahamas Must Be First”
Fox officially announced his intention to run in the 2026 General Election, promising transparency, affordability, opportunity and a modern Bahamian economy.
February 4, 2026
“Officially Picked”
The Free National Movement formally ratified Fox as its candidate for Garden Hills, instantly making him one of the most talked-about figures in the election cycle.
March 20, 2026
“From Courtside to Campaign Stage”
Fox mounted the national campaign stage for the first time at the FNM’s major campaign launch at Baha Mar Resort in Nassau.
March 30, 2026
“I’m Giving The Salary Back”
Fox announced he would not take a parliamentary salary if elected, saying the funds should instead go back into helping the people of
Garden Hills.
April 14, 2026
“Nomination Eve Goes Viral”
A heated confrontation involving Fox and PLP supporters outside the Parliamentary Registration Department exploded across social media after video captured the tense exchange.
April 16, 2026
“Pick Rick” Officially Launches
Nomination Day cemented Fox’s candidacy and formally launched the now-famous “Pick Rick” campaign branding.
April 19, 2026
“Vote and Win”
Jamiah Burrows won a vehicle through Fox’s civic participation challenge, part of a campaign effort encouraging voter engagement and turnout.
April 20, 2026
“The Wealthiest Candidate”
Financial disclosures revealed Fox as the wealthiest candidate in the 2026 election cycle, with reported assets exceeding $469 million, ending speculation about his financial standing.
April 25, 2026
“The Garden Hills Blueprint”
Fox unveiled detailed policy graphics outlining plans for:
- youth development,
- healthcare access,
- infrastructure upgrades,
- environmental restoration,
- entrepreneurship,
- and a proposed $10 million investment fund for Garden Hills.
May 4, 2026
“The Numbers Don’t Lie”
Fox’s campaign highlighted more than:
- 20 community clean-ups,
- 16 streets and locations served,
- and 13 solar lights installed across Garden Hills during the campaign.
May 6, 2026
“Shaq Steps In”
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal publicly endorsed Fox, helping elevate international attention surrounding the campaign.
May 8, 2026
“Buju Backs Rick”
Jamaican reggae icon Buju Banton threw his support behind Fox ahead of Election Day.
May 10, 2026
“Vanessa Williams Endorses”
Fox’s former wife, actress and singer Vanessa Williams publicly endorsed his campaign.
May 11, 2026
“Magic Joins the Campaign”
NBA icon Magic Johnson became the latest major celebrity to endorse Fox just one day before Bahamians went to the polls.
May 12, 2026
“Election Day”
Fox contested the Garden Hills constituency seat against PLP incumbent Mario Bowleg in one of the country’s most closely watched races.
May 13, 2026
“Grace in Defeat”
Fox publicly conceded the race and congratulated Bowleg on his victory in Garden Hills.
May 18, 2026
“We Pick Rick”
Despite losing at the polls, Fox officially entered Parliament after being appointed to the Senate by the FNM — with the party itself declaring:
“We Pick Rick.”
The appointment made Fox one of the most internationally recognized figures ever to serve in the Bahamian Senate.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands — The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), in coordination with the Planning Department and key partner agencies, conducted a multi-agency enforcement exercise on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in the Lower Bight area in Providenciales. The exercise resulted in the complete removal of a total of eight (8) unauthorized structures and all associated debris from a
privately-owned parcel of land.
The operation was led by the Planning Department, with coordination by the ISU and support from the TCI Border Force, the Crown Land Unit, and Pelican Energy. Security for the exercise was provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. All agencies worked collaboratively to ensure the exercise was carried out in a safe, orderly, and controlled manner.
The enforcement action followed a structured and lawful process in accordance with the Physical Planning regulatory framework of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Section 45 Enforcement Notices were first issued on the affected parcel in December 2024, identifying unauthorized structures erected without the requisite approvals. This was followed by the issuance of Warning Notices on April 16, 2026, which advised occupants that they were in breach of planning and land use regulations and provided notice that demolition activities would proceed following the prescribed compliance period. Despite these notices and the time afforded for compliance, the unauthorized structures remained in place.
This exercise represents part of an ongoing commitment to ensuring that development within the Turks and Caicos Islands is lawful, safe, and aligned with national standards.
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