Blue Iguana & Ghost Orchid featured in London event
(CNS): Cayman’s rare flora and fauna will be featured at a Cayman Islands event at the London offices of one of the the UK’s leading broadsheet newspapers on 28 September. Blue Iguana Recovery Programme Director Fred Burton, who was awarded an MBE for preventing the extinction of Cayman’s famous endemic reptile, will be talking to 100 Telegraph readers about the history of the Blue Iguana and his desperate fight for their survival. Also at the event, John Lawrus, manager of the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, will be talking about the floral treasures that can be found within the 65-acre park, including the world’s rarest orchid, the Ghost Orchid, and the new Orchid Garden, as well as native plants and trees and abundant bird life.
The Telegraph, which has an average daily circulation of nearly 850,000, says the Cayman Islands have "an astonishing diversity of species across the three islands including two of the rarest species on earth – the spectacular giant Blue Iguana and the delicate and mysterious Ghost Orchid."
The paper will be allocating the free tickets for the Cayman Islands event on a first-come, first-served basis to 100 readers. Guests will receive free Cayman Islands bumper packs, Caribbean drinks and food.
Go to the Telegraph for more details.
The story of the struggle to bring the Blue Iguanas back from the edge of extinction is told in Burton’s book, published earlier this year, The Little Blue Book.
Category: Science and Nature
Thank you Mr. Burton and all those who participated in the ongoing effort to save the majestic Caymanian blue iguana from extinction. You rock.
Fred Burton has done an incredible job with the Blues. In the scientific community (international) Mr. Burton’s efforts have been widely recognized, and often cited as a success story in saving a critically endangered species. Please shake his hand and thank him if you see him. Without him, the Blues would undoubtedly have been extinct several years ago.
Always great to have some positive news in these trying times CNS!
These Cayman Islands ‘national treasures’ being featured at the London event will undoubtly be a beneficial association with our Islands.
With all of the controversy our country has faced over the previous year, this carries a prominent element of character which makes us appreciate what being Caymanian truly means. We have so much to offer to the rest of the world.
I wish them all great success in representing and sharing our country’s ambassadors overseas, which so wonderfully reflect the unique beauty of the islands.
What a magnificent creature. Wow – we have such treasures here on our island. In the midst of all the madness in the news this article gives me a peace of mind, so refreshing!
It’s a big ugly-assed reptile
And you are an ignorant reptile.
Well, it seems everyone is off ranting and raving at someone or something elsewhere here on CNS, so I’d just like to express how pleased I was to read this. Targeted initiatives such as this and the annual Chelsea Flower Show exhibit really do positively promote the Cayman Islands. Well done to all involved.
It’s disgraceful that this foreign man, Mr Burton, is getting all this credit for saving our Blues when we Caymanians know the real work was done by our own born Caymanians…………….Mr ………er…..Ms……..er …….. erm….well at least those Caymanians who we all know should really get the credit for this.
Why are you not publishing their names? If they deserve credit then let us know who to thank.
Apparently sarcasm is not well understood here.
Why don’t we name the guy who slaughtered those Blues not long ago. That might be more to their liking.