Q&A with Ian Harnarine | Screenshots (Jan/Feb 2019) By Jonathan Ali | Issue 155 (January/February 2019) Filmmaker Ian Harnarine talks about his new short, Caroni
The plastic wars | Green By Erline Andrews | Issue 155 (January/February 2019) Plastic pollution is a growing danger to the environment, to wildlife, and to ourselves. As Jamaica implements the first major plastics ban in the Caribbean, Erline Andrews learns about its possible impact — and pitfalls
The secret life of sunscreen | Green By Erline Andrews | Issue 154 (November/December 2018) The blazing rays of the tropical sun can take a heavy toll on your skin — which is why most beachgoers and swimmers in the Caribbean slather on a layer of protective sunscreen before they disrobe. But the very chemicals that protect human skin can be toxic for corals — and the Caribbean’s reefs pay the price. Erline Andrews investigates
Jaws of life | Green By Erline Andrews | Issue 153 (September/October 2018) Pop culture has given sharks an undeservedly scary reputation. What’s truly frightening, reports Erline Andrews, is a sea without sharks, vital for a healthy marine ecosystem. And after decades of neglect, the countries of the Caribbean are finally waking up to the importance of shark conservation — for the environment, but also for their economies
A plague from above | On this day By James Ferguson | Issue 153 (September/October 2018) It’s not just a story from the Bible: thirty years ago, thanks to unprecedented weather conditions, a massive swarm of locusts crossed the Atlantic and ended up in the Caribbean. James Ferguson investigates how, and what became of them
Clearing the trail | Escape By Paul Crask | Issue 152 (July/August 2018) Dominica’s Waitukubuli National Trail is the jewel in the Nature Isle’s ecotourism crown. 2017’s Hurricane Maria devastated the trail — along with the rest of Dominica — but now an unusual breed of “voluntourists” are helping restore it. Paul Crask meets two of them
What follows the storm in Dominica | Green By Paul Crask | Issue 149 (January/February 2018) In September 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated Dominica’s houses, businesses, and infrastructure. But the storm also took a toll on the Nature Isle’s forests and wildlife — a major blow for an economy that depends on eco-tourism. Paul Crask reports
After the storm | Perspective By Caribbean Beat | Issue 148 (November/December 2017) In the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, here’s how you can help the islands most badly affected
Redonda rescue — saving its native species | Green By Erline Andrews | Issue 147 (September/October 2017) Tiny Redonda, with its steep and barren cliffs, is home to colonies of seabirds, rare lizards found nowhere else — and, until recently, hordes of invasive goats and rats. But a new restoration project aims to return Redonda to its original inhabitants. Erline Andrews learns more
The energy of the future: renewables in the Caribbean | Green By Erline Andrews | Issue 146 (July/August 2017) Year-round sunshine, endless breezes, gushing rivers: most Caribbean countries have ample natural resources to harness renewable energy. So why is the region so dependent on fossil fuels? Erline Andrews investigates
Aloe vera: the thorny balm By Shelly-Ann Inniss | Issue 145 (May/June 2017) The spiky Aloe vera plant is a favourite of Caribbean gardens, its bitter gel used as a moisturiser, stomach remedy, and ingredient in healthy tonics. You might imagine you could build a whole industry around this handy plant — and Aruba has done just that. Shelly-Ann Inniss visits the island’s biggest aloe farm, and learns how this wonder of the kitchen and medicine cabinet is an economic wonder, too
Born blue: Suriname’s blue poison dart frog By Caribbean Beat | Issue 145 (May/June 2017) Suriname’s blue poison dart frog is a living treasure of the rainforest
Mangrove view By Caribbean Beat | Issue 144 (March/April 2017) A mosaic of greens and blues seen from high above, Barbuda’s Codrington Lagoon is a natural gem, home to mangrove forests and seabird colonies
Caribbean eco progress report By Nazma Muller | Issue 144 (March/April 2017) In the pages of Caribbean Beat, over the past twenty-five years, we’ve often reported on environmental stories. So what’s the real state of progress across the region, when it comes to protecting our natural resources? Nazma Muller investigates
Electric Avenues By Shelly-Ann Inniss | Issue 143 (January/February 2017) As the world grows more environment- and energy-conscious, electric cars seem like the transport of the future. And most Caribbean countries offer ideal conditions for their adoption, writes Shelly-Ann Inniss
Grow wild By Sharon Millar | Issue 141 (September/October 2016) You don’t need to venture deep into the forest to encounter fascinating wildlife. Even an ordinary urban garden can attract birds, butterflies, and more, if you know how. Sharon Millar tells you how
Caribbean volcanoes: fire down below By Caribbean Beat | Issue 140 (July/August 2016) Shaped by subterranean forces, the islands of the Lesser Antilles are an arc of volcanoes — some extinct, some dormant, some still active. And among their dramatic forested peaks, crater lakes, and hot springs, amateur vulcanologists (and ordinary tourists) can find ample evidence of our planet’s restless energy
Barbuda — precious blue By Nazma Muller | Issue 139 (May/June 2016) For islands, coastal waters form a boundary, but also a source of life, offering food and other resources, and protection from storms. When Barbuda’s coast began to suffer from decades of pollution and overfishing, the Blue Halo Initiative stepped in. Nazma Muller finds out more
Guyana times five By Brendan de Caires, David Papannah and Vidyaratha Kissoon | Issue 139 (May/June 2016) Stretching six hundred miles from north to south, Guyana is “the land of many waters” — but also of many landscapes, from coast to mountain, river to savannah. As the country celebrates its fiftieth anniversary of Independence, we explore its stunning beauty through photos, while Brendan de Caires visits the “afterworld” of the Rupununi and Vidyaratha Kissoon and David Papannah explore the unique atmosphere of Georgetown
Wild as the wind: the Pointe-à-Pierre Wildfowl Trust By Andre Bagoo | Issue 138 (March/April 2016) Picture a lush oasis of lakes surrounded by green forest, where rare ducks swim among waterlilies, cormorants sun themselves on overhanging branches, and the cries of parakeets fill the air — and all this in the middle of an oil refinery complex. Andre Bagoo visits Trinidad’s Pointe-à-Pierre Wildfowl Trust, celebrating five decades of nurturing endangered birds
Castor oil, please By Nazma Muller | Issue 136 (November/December 2015) Nasty-tasting castor oil was once the bane of Caribbean childhoods. But now an innovative line of beauty products from Haiti is putting castor beans to a different use — and helping make Haiti’s hills green again, Nazma Muller reports
The garbage problem: the Caribbean tackles recycling By Nazma Muller | Issue 135 (September/October 2015) Disposing of garbage is a growing concern for small islands with limited space for landfills. Aruba is tackling it head-on with an ambitious recycling programme, Nazma Muller explains — are other Caribbean countries following suit?
