By Eleanor Glass, CLP Programme Officer (Fauna & Flora)
Nearly three months after Hurricane Beryl, Caribbean conservationists trained by the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) share their stories of recovery and adaptation amidst the devastation.
“As post-Beryl continues to direct our path, which involves a new course set by nature, we will surely maintain our commitments to our islands’ people and our environment.” – Stephan Hornsey, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Environment Fund (SVGEF)
Across late June and early July, Hurricane Beryl left a trail of utter devastation in parts of the Caribbean, the Yucatán Peninsula, and the Gulf Coast of the United States.
With winds reaching at least 157 miles per hour, Beryl was given the highest hurricane classification of Category 5 (the earliest-forming Category 5 on record) and was the most destructive hurricane that the Caribbean had seen in over a decade.
Just a week previously, CLP had led a training workshop for 16 early-career Caribbean conservationists on the island of Saint Lucia, in partnership with the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF).
Upon returning home, many of the trainees witnessed first-hand Beryl’s immediate impact: uprooted trees, demolished buildings, and upended lives.
But what has happened in the storm’s aftermath, once the world’s attention moved on?
Here, three of the trainees share their stories of recovery, revealing an impressive resilience and adaptability in the face of unprecedented adversity. While their focus now is on rebuilding their lives and conservation projects, they are also grappling with the reality that climate change is turning natural disasters into the new normal. For both people and nature, adaptation is no longer a choice—it’s a necessity.
Nature’s struggle
Alongside communities, nature is vulnerable to these storms. One of the CLP trainees, Camar Green Clarke, Director of the Treasure Beach Turtle Group in Jamaica, explained how Beryl has devastated Treasure Beach where her organisation carries out sea turtle conservation. “All turtle nests except one were destroyed as the hurricane ravaged the coast, so we are having to adapt our activities and strategize on how to better protect turtle nests,” she said.
Watch the video below to see the turtle hatchlings emerging from the one surviving nest on Treasure Beach, Jamaica:
Camar has been reflecting on the implementation of captive nests. This involves manually moving turtle nests to safer sites and hatching them within vessels that protect them from both storm surges and predators. The hatchlings are then released, while attracting locals and eco-tourists to learn about the process and to support turtle conservation.
“Back to square one”
Another of the trainees, Kennon Providence, is the Administration and Finance Assistant for the Union Island Climate Change Adaptation Project led by Fauna & Flora and the Union Island Environmental Alliance (UIEA).
On Union Island, Hurricane Beryl damaged or destroyed 90% of the buildings, leaving many islanders homeless. Kennon describes the current situation as “back to square one” as the islanders adjust to this new normal while also carrying the emotional burden of post-traumatic stress.
“The current focus is to clean up debris, rebuild homes, and secure vital resources such as clean water,” said Kennon.
Due to a lack of waste management infrastructure on the island, debris is being piled up and burnt, creating what Kennon described as “dystopian” with bonfires scattered along roadsides.
“There is an urgent need for water security and waste management,” he adds, highlighting the challenges of traditional water collection including risks to health and the lack of municipal supplies. He explains that water is currently being delivered to communities by truck, which will not be sustainable in the long run.
Despite these challenges, Kennon is focused on solutions as he plans to begin a project to implement sustainable water management practices for his community and is currently discussing the possibility of a mobile solar powered water desalination system.
Communities united in recovery
Another trainee, Stephan Hornsey, Manager of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Environment Fund (SVGEF), has witnessed the impact of Hurricane Beryl on both environmental projects and across local communities.
“In SVG, the storm destroyed the livelihoods of fisherfolk, washed away sea turtle nesting sites, and drastically altered the marine environment as coral, boats, and debris were violently displaced,” said Stephan.
He describes how, on land, the forests suffered as landslides swept through the mountains, blocking rivers with fallen trees and damaging wildlife habitats. “Local people faced unimaginable losses to their homes, businesses, medical centres, and schools, leaving the islands in disarray,” Stephan adds.
After the storm, the SVGEF team swiftly raised funds for hurricane relief and began delivering aid, operating from the less-affected mainland of Saint Vincent.
“We focused our efforts on the southern Grenadines, working closely with community leaders and individuals connected to the environmental network to respond to immediate needs while addressing environmental damage,” explains Stephan. “Our work included providing aid to those who lost their livelihoods and continuing to support local partners dedicated to environmental protection in the aftermath of Beryl.”
Hope and resilience
The resilience of these Caribbean conservationists serves as a powerful testament to the human spirit and our capacity for adaptation. The people on the frontline, often overlooked in post-disaster narratives, are not only focused on restoring ecosystems but also on securing the livelihoods of their communities.
The challenges they face—from securing clean water to protecting species—underscores the urgency of climate adaptation. As recovery continues, their stories of determination remind us that protecting both people and nature requires innovation, collaboration, and commitment. The road ahead is long, but with unity and resilience, there is hope.
