The Anguilla Toastmasters Club was pleased to have special guest speaker Farah Mukhida, the Executive Director of the Anguilla National Trust, present on Saturday, August 22, 2020.
Farah first came to Anguilla National Trust in 2005 as the Protected Areas Manager – after having worked in Canada (where she’s from), Tobago, and the Philippines working within the field of marine resources management. Farah has a background in the integrated coastal zone and marine protected areas management. Since joining the Trust, she’s been working with Anguilla’s plants, birds, reptiles, and turtles, both on the mainland and the offshore cays. Recently, Farah has been helping to develop partnerships between the ANT and the Fisheries Unit to improve marine park management in Anguilla.
Farah Mukhida delivered a well organised and engaging speech accompanied by vivid colorful slides of Anguilla’s beautiful Flora and Fauna. Some of the highlights included the following points:
Despite its small size, Anguilla is a hotspot for biodiversity. Hundreds of different species of birds, reptiles, mammals, insects, plants, fish, and corals can be found on the land and in the waters surrounding the island. Unfortunately, this biodiversity is at risk from both our actions, locally, as well as from the global climate change crisis. Funding provided by the UK’s Darwin Plus allows the ANT to work with national and international partners to increase the resiliency of Anguilla’s vulnerable coastal habitats – and preserve beaches, sand dunes, and wetlands and species that are at the highest risk of extinction.
Animals in Anguilla that are endangered include the Lesser Antillean Iguana, Anguilla Bank Racer, Anguilla bank skink, Sombrero ground lizard, Little Scrub ground lizard.
Plants that are endangered include the lignum vitae tree, and the Anguilla bush.
In order to enhance Anguilla’s habitats, the ANT is restoring vegetation so that the island’s coastline is more resilient to flooding and storm surges caused by hurricanes which are expected to become more frequent and stronger because of climate change.
Anguilla’s endangered species are being assisted by increasing their resiliency by reducing compounding stressors, including removing invasive alien species, restoring habitats and increasing the species’ ranges.
Farah Mukhida highlighted the importance of understanding and appreciating Anguilla’s natural environment and how everyone can play a part in protecting at-risk habitats and species.
Upon her conclusion, the Toastmasters audience bombarded Farah with questions ranging from the estimated green sea turtle populations to inquires concerning whether the local Bank Racer snake is poisonous. The audience appeared relieved to learn the timid snake is quite harmless and should not be killed.
The Anguilla Toastmasters Club wishes to extends its thanks and appreciation to Farah for her outstanding and educational presentation.
– Press Release
