Purchase of small Parcel of Land on Little Cayman in Mahogany Bay/Phosphate Park subdivision at the west end of the Island

25th October 2021 –

Blossom Village, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands, 22 October 2021– The Little Cayman District Committee of the National Trust For The Cayman Islands is very pleased to announce the purchase of a small parcel of land on Little Cayman in the Mahogany Bay/Phosphate Park subdivision at the west end of the island. The parcel contains three immense, old growth mahogany trees. These magnificent trees have been a prominent landmark on Little Cayman for as long as memory serves and are clearly visible in the first aerial survey photos of Little Cayman taken in 1972 towering above the surrounding forest canopy. They are certainly in the hundreds of years old. The trees have been a point of interest for decades and are included in the National Trust’s Explorer Passport for the Sister Islands.

It remains a mystery why these trees did not fall to the axman first during the extensive logging that occurred on all three Cayman Islands in the distant past after the arrival of Europeans to the New World and then during the phosphate mining era that occurred on Little Cayman in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Indeed the lot itself is an old open pit phosphate mine with the excavations literally in the shade of these trees.

The purchase was made possible through a donation of the entire purchase price, US $39,000, by Trust member and long time resident of Little Cayman Mrs. Brigitte Kassa. Mrs. Kassa settled on the island with her late husband Basil in 1973 when there were fewer than 20 inhabitants. She is a founding member of the Little Cayman District Committee and a Life Member of the National Trust. She has been extremely generous to the Trust over the years with substantial monetary and several other land donations in the past. Her selfless volunteering and generosity stem from her desire to preserve and protect the unique flora, fauna and pristine environment of her home, Little Cayman.

Brigitte is an author of several children’s books. Her latest is however an autobiography that chronicles her colourful life, “From Coffee, to Champagne, to Coconuts.” All proceeds from the sale of the book also go to the Little Cayman District Committee land fund and it can be ordered from all of the online booksellers including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

The Little Cayman District Committee of the Trust and The National Trust For The Cayman Islands sincerely thank Brigitte for her selfless efforts, dedication and uncommon generosity in helping to preserve and protect the special natural environment of Little Cayman for present and future generations of Caymanians.

Photo – Mrs. Brigitte Kassa under the trees.

About the National Trust for the Cayman Islands

The National Trust for the Cayman Islands is a non-governmental organization whose mandate under the National Trust Law (2010 Revision) includes the preservation of the historic, natural and maritime heritage of the Cayman Islands for present and future generations.

About the Blue Iguana Conservation Programme

The Blue Iguana Recovery Programme began in 1990 with only 30 dedicated Blue Iguanas and the primary goal to restore the wild population to 1,000 Blue Iguanas, encouraging viable population in the long-term. Having met its primary goal in 2018, the initiative formally transitioned to the Blue Iguana Conservation Programme in 2019 with a new focus of sustainably conserving the native species of Grand Cayman.

About the National Trust’s Environmental Programme

The National Trust for the Cayman Islands’ environmental programme was founded on the concept that the protection of native plants and animals is best achieved by protecting the natural areas in which they depend.

About the National Trust Conservation Programme

The National Trust for the Cayman Islands’ conservation programme strives to protect Cayman’s native species and the habitats in which they live, and includes the endemic Blue Iguana of Grand Cayman, the Sister Islands Rock Iguana and Cayman’s native bat species.