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DECR Launches Important Tropical Plant Areas & Species in TCI Project

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#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.

 

Bahamas News

Caribbean Bottling Supports the 27th Basketball Smiles Week  

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NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers of Coca-Cola and Dasani products, is proud to once again support Basketball Smiles for their 27th year.

Upholding its corporate pillar of community outreach, CBC proudly donated $2,000, over 75 cases of Dasani, Powerade and Sprite, reusable Powerade water bottles and numerous marketing materials.

The annual sporting summer camp offers free basketball and life skills training to Junior and High School students.

Basketball Smiles’ mission of developing leadership qualities while fostering children’s academic achievement and self-esteem aligns perfectly with CBC’s commitment to supporting and empowering youth.

Jazmin Darling, Assistant Marketing Manager for Caribbean Bottling Company shared why the company continues to support this program each year.

“At CBC, we believe investing in our youth is one of the greatest ways to strengthen our communities. We’re proud to support Basketball Smiles each year because it goes beyond the game. This program champions healthy lifestyles, positive values and brighter futures. It’s a privilege to play a role in helping these young athletes reach their full potential each year,” she shared.

Sam Nicholls, Basketball Smiles Camp President and Founder expressed.

“Caribbean Bottling Company is an incredible partner. We are truly grateful for their generous support, which will go a long way in making a positive impact on the lives of our campers,” Nicholls expressed.

CBC is always ready to lend its support toward initiatives and programs that uplift young Bahamians. The impact Basketball Smiles makes on the community is undeniable and is why CBC remains a historic sponsor.

For more information on sponsorship, events and new products, visit www.cbcbahamas.com today.

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Bahamas News

CWS Supports Transforming Spaces with Premium Products and Unique Cocktails

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CWS brand representative for Bottega and Excellsior wines posing with attendees enjoying glasses of Bottega Gold Prosecco at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas.

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines and Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wine and spirits distributor is thrilled to once again lend its support to Transforming Spaces (TS).

CWS is a proud historical partner of the annual art week which highlights Bahamian art and art spaces. Under this year’s theme, “Chasing Light” Transforming Spaces and Caribbean Wines & Spirits created a memorable art experience.

To mark 21 years of the upliftment and exposure of culture and Bahamian art, CWS offered award winning wines St. Francis, Rebellious, Bottega and Excellsior; premium spirits, Cross Keys Gin, El Tequileno Tequila, Angostura Rum and Nemiroff Vodka, along with the newly added Coors Light Beer from its portfolio.

To kickstart the annual art week, CWS delighted attendees with a tasting of globally renowned Bottega Wines at TS’ Poetry Jam, held at ICE Bahamas. Throughout the event, Bottega brand representatives shared tasting notes, ideal pairings, and insights into the brand’s portfolio.

During the highly anticipated Saturday and Sunday tours, CWS showcased its premium products at select art galleries.

Attendees enjoyed Rebellious and St. Francis wines at The Current: Baha Mar Art Gallery and Museum, Bottega and Excellsior wines at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, Coors Light beer at the University of The Bahamas Pro Gallery and hand-crafted Schweppes mixes featuring Cross Keys Gin, El Tequileno Tequila, Angostura Rum and Nemiroff Vodka at CAB Gallery & Studio.

Throughout the two-day tour, CWS product specialists enriched the experience by providing a deeper appreciation for their exceptional beverage portfolio.

Members of the Transforming Spaces Committee expressed their appreciation towards CWS’ support after another successful art week.

“Transforming Spaces is deeply grateful for the continued support of Caribbean Wines & Spirits over the years. Their partnership has become such an important part of the TS experience, helping us create welcoming and vibrant moments for our audiences across the tour weekend. From signature wines and cocktail bars to refreshments at gallery stops and pop-up events, their contribution brings an added sense of hospitality, celebration, and connection to the journey through Bahamian contemporary art.” — TS2026 Committee.

Caribbean Wines & Spirits is proud to partner with Transforming Spaces in supporting and elevating the voices and works of Bahamian artists and looks forward to strengthening this partnership for years to come.

To learn more about CWS’ involvement in the community, follow on social media @caribbeanwinesandspirits or visit the website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.

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Government

Government Outlines New Healthcare Vision as Interhealth Exit Accelerates Reform  

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By Magnetic Media Newsroom

 

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands — The Turks and Caicos Islands Government says the breakdown of its relationship with InterHealth Canada presents an opportunity to reshape healthcare delivery, with plans to expand local medical services, strengthen primary care and reduce dependence on overseas treatment.

During a national briefing following InterHealth Canada’s notice terminating its hospital contract, Premier Charles Washington Misick acknowledged publicly for the first time that Government and InterHealth had been negotiating an exit from the arrangement for more than a year after what he described as an “irretrievably broken down” relationship.

Despite the contractual dispute, Misick and Health Minister Kyle Knowles stressed that healthcare services will continue uninterrupted during the transition.

“Allow us to do our job,” Knowles appealed, assuring residents that Government is actively managing the transition and safeguarding patient care.

The Premier outlined what amounts to a broader healthcare transformation built around four connected levels of care: strengthened community-based primary healthcare; expanded polyclinic services; enhanced hospital-based secondary care with greater specialist capacity; and overseas tertiary treatment only for cases that cannot be managed locally.

Among the proposals are the long-discussed establishment of intensive care units, expanded use of currently unfinished hospital space, recruitment of more resident specialist physicians and stronger contract management to oversee future healthcare agreements.

Knowles said the new polyclinic model will broaden services available outside the hospitals, including dentistry, ophthalmology, laboratory services, diagnostic imaging, gynaecology and preventative screening, helping to reduce pressure on emergency departments while improving early intervention.

Misick also acknowledged that while the hospital system significantly improved healthcare access after opening in 2010, Government believes further reform is necessary to improve affordability, sustainability and the range of services available within the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The briefing marked the Government’s most comprehensive explanation to date of its plans beyond the InterHealth contract, signalling that officials now see the transition as an opportunity to redesign healthcare delivery rather than simply replace one operator with another.

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