Fieldwork and staff training carried out in June by the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands (NPTVI) form part of a broader environmental restoration effort aimed at protecting rare wildlife and fragile ecosystems on Great and Little Tobago National Parks.
The work is part of the UK Darwin Plus 196 project, a three-year initiative funded by the United Kingdom government to support biodiversity conservation and environmental improvement in the UK Overseas Territories. The current focus is the removal of invasive species that have reduced native habitat and disrupted ecological balance on the uninhabited islands.
Great and Little Tobago are home to several significant species, including the Brown Booby and the only known colony of Magnificent Frigatebirds in the British Virgin Islands—one of the few remaining in the Caribbean. Invasive species have led to a decline in available nesting areas, prompting a coordinated response to restore these habitats.
According to the National Parks Trust, the work being undertaken is a critical part of a long-term strategy to protect native wildlife and improve the overall health of the islands’ ecosystems.
The project is being delivered in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Indigena, a New Zealand-based restoration company. Together, these organisations are working across regions to combine field expertise, ecological research, and restoration techniques tailored to small island environments.
The Darwin Plus programme provides funding to projects that improve environmental quality and build local capacity across the UK Overseas Territories. The current efforts on Great and Little Tobago include ecological surveys, invasive species removal, and staff development to support the sustainability of the work.
The National Parks Trust, which manages more than 20 protected areas across the Virgin Islands, continues to lead local conservation efforts with the support of international partners.
