Natural healing | Discover
For generations, Caribbean people have used local plants — leaves, seeds, roots, and more — for medicine. But scientific research into these folk remedies has lagged behind. At the University of the West Indies campus in Mona, Jamaica, the pioneering Natural Products Institute is working to change that, Erline Andrews learns
Nature’s Bread | Green
It’s delicious, nutritious, and popular across the Caribbean. Even so, breadfruit — brought to the region from the Pacific more than two centuries ago — is still underappreciated for its potential role in increasing regional food security, and helping to green our cities. Erline Andrews learns more
All creatures great and small | Inspire
Last September, Hurricane Dorian devastated the lives of thousands in the Bahamas — and not just the human residents of the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahamas, but their pets as well. As Erline Andrews learns, in the aftermath of the storm, animal welfare organisations have stepped in to save hundreds of domesticated animals and reunite them with their owners
For the sake of a lizard | Green
The gem-like colours of the tiny Union Island gecko — a lizard found only on one small island in the Grenadines — are why it’s so highly coveted by the exotic pet trade. As Erline Andrews reports, hopes for the endangered gecko’s survival depend on new conservation efforts, and a push for eco-tourism
The climate change countdown | Green
For decades, climate scientists have warned us about the consequences of global warming — and small island states like those in the Caribbean are especially vulnerable. 2017’s Hurricane Maria was just a taste of what the coming decades will bring, reports Erline Andrews, unless significant resources get directed to efforts to protect threatened coastlines and reefs
Archaeology’s eye in the sky | Discover
For centuries, much of the evidence for Mayan civilisation has been covered in dense rainforest. Now new developments in LiDAR technology have made it possible for archaeologists to do sophisticated aerial surveys — revealing tens of thousands of previously unknown structures. Erline Andrews learns more
The parrotfish dilemma | Green
Among the most colourful marine species, parrotfish play a key role in keeping reefs and beaches healthy. They are also delicious, making fishing bans to protect them unpopular. Without these protections, learns Erline Andrews, they may be overfished into extinction
Diva Amon: as deep as it goes | Discover
The portion of the sea below two hundred metres is our planet’s biggest habitat, and the least known. Erline Andrews meets Trinidadian marine biologist Diva Amon, pioneering deep-sea research in our region
