Junior Rangers Programme Update

The Junior Ranger pilot programme is well underway and has so far covered topics like mangrove ecology, insects and coral reef ecology and exploration! 

“The Junior Mangrove Rangers Programme is an exceptional initiative that offers students between the ages of 8 and 14 an opportunity to explore and learn about nature in a fun and interactive way.” says Junior Ranger coordinator Louisa Sax. “Through a series of interactive discussions and field trips with specialists in each topic field, students are given hands-on learning experiences that help them understand the importance of mangrove conservation and protection. This programme meets once per month and covers a wide range of topics related to mangroves, including flora and fauna, ecology, and sustainability. Overall, the Junior Mangrove Rangers Programme is an excellent way for young people to get engaged with nature and learn valuable lessons about environmental stewardship.”

Today is the third lesson of the program and will be led by the Cayman Birding team for a lesson and excursion on Birds found in the Mangroves. 

Rangers start water quality testing in Grand Cayman

The Mangrove Rangers are excited to start water quality testing in key mangrove habitats around Grand Cayman. 

“Each Ranger has been assigned an area to test on a monthly basis. We will be testing pH, ammonia, salinity and temperature at each of the locations and compiling a database with the results.” says Ranger Cassie. “This data will be useful to have just incase any of the areas we are testing experience major changes, like algae blooms or wildlife die off. Having a log of this data prior to the event could assist in determining the cause.”

“Thanks to funding from ReSEMBID and The European Union we were able to purchase multiple water quality analysis kits to conduct this testing.” added MEP director Martin Keeley. “We are still awaiting the arrival of our new YSI meter which will allow us to gather multiple readings at once using one instrument.”

Upcoming events and trainings

Mark your calendars! The Mangrove Rangers have multiple events coming up over the next few months and you don’t want to miss them.

New Ranger Training – June 24th & 25th (Registration is now open, use the button below to access the form)

Mangrove Art Festival – July 29th 

Mangrove Family Fun Day – July 30th

Ranger Training Sign Up