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https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/a-small-preserve-leads-a-big-effort-to-save-native-plants-in-the-bahamas/>
"ELEUTHERA, Bahamas — Tucked away beside the main road that runs along
Eleuthera, a narrow island in the Bahamas, the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve
holds 12 hectares (30 acres) of dense subtropical dry forest.
Black witch moths (
Ascalapha odorata), as large as bats, zigzag between the
branches as fluorescent wasps hum along the path’s edge. Orchard spiders
(
Leucauge venusta) sit on sprawling webs between mangrove roots. Meter-high
termite mounds surround the bases of tree trunks. Native Jamaican slider
turtles (
Trachemys terrapen) sunbathe in the artificial wetland. Tree
lizards, frogs and nonvenomous snakes make the preserve their home, too.
Just two decades ago, the same plot of land belonged to a hotel, with stretches
of abandoned farmland. After philanthropist Shelby White purchased the land,
and after many years of restoring the property, it became an accredited
botanical garden. Today, it’s known for its conservation, research and
education on native Bahamian plants.
The Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve is funded and managed through a partnership
between the Bahamas National Trust, which oversees the country’s national
parks, and the philanthropic Leon Levy Foundation based in New York City. Now,
it’s the island’s standout example of native plant diversity and a hub for
Caribbean plant knowledge."
Via Frederick Wilson II.
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
