Community Work

This quarter, I’ve teamed up with the Montserrat Tourism Authority to expand the concept of eco-tourism in my community, and we’re aiming to create more immersive, regenerative environmental experiences. This contract role is exciting, as it’s aligned to everything I’m passionate about and have been doing personally and professionally for years!

So, many of you might be familiar with the phrase "leave only your footprints in the sand", which emphasizes not harming the environments we explore. What I appreciate about regenerative tourism is its focus on giving back to the communities we visit. However, giving back is only possible if the community is activated, engaged, and prepared to receive. This has been my focus for the past 12 years and it led me to seriously value a more holistic approach to conservation.

Just as a good parent prepares their child to navigate the world with confidence and critical thinking, holistic conservation empowers local communities to heal and grow on their terms and to lead conservation initiatives that reflect their needs and aspirations.

Montserrat's Community Environmental Stewardship Initiative (CESI)

Q1 + Q2

Project: Community Environmental Stewardship Initiative (CESI).

I’m hoping this collaboration will open doors to even more opportunities like this, both with this client, and others.

The Campaign's Objectives are:

To establish a group of Environmental Stewards dedicated to advocating for environmental preservation
To encourage behavioral changes and promote environmental engagement
To instill a sense of personal pride in Montserrat’s environment

During the inception of this project, I repeatedly questioned how to engage volunteers long-term on a minimal budget in an island facing growing economic challenges. The work is necessary, but why would people participate for free, what do they gain? This question weighed heavily on me, especially when Keith, "Mampi" Farrell, a community man from a marginalized area, shared,

"I understand community involvement, but when some parties profit financially from everyone's efforts, it no set so."

I felt that! And I wanted to find a solution, a compromise, as we all do. In processing the situation, I asked myself.

"Which volunteers are we hoping to empower most?"

For instance, in my experience:

There are two categories of volunteers:

Those who are already employed
Those who are unemployed and vulnerable ( we only get these people engaged via personal relationships or paid stipends)

Similarly, we have two types of supporters:

1. Those who volunteer their Sundays (whether employed, retired, or just seeking to fill their time)

2. Those who won't show up in person but genuinely wish to contribute financially, often motivated by the assurance that funds will reach those in need. 💖 These supporters often seek to align with their purpose.

As the CESI coordinator, my personal mission—though not part of my contract but crucial for diversifying our blue economies and empowering coastal communities—is to create more avenues for the most vulnerable to access these funds first. Why? Because experiencing the island's true spirit through our people and culture will enrich your visit or volunteer experience immensely.

Friends, sometimes we need to return to the basics and rethink our strategies and the guiding questions we pose to ourselves.

“The problem is that when people are struggling—as a significant number of people in Montserrat are—they think about how to get money now, not about the impact in 30 years..."

A solution within my control is to use my NGO to provide stipends directly to those not yet included in the blue economy, recognizing their time investment; because when someone like Mampi agrees to participate in community stewardship, he's foregoing earnings from cleaning fish or a car at Carr's Bay.

An All -Inclusive Approach

So back to the CESI program — To ensure accountability and inclusivity within the initiative, I've proposed a criterion for all NGOs, CSOs and partners that join the CESI Charter: they must engage, value, and invest time in 1 or 2 vulnerable, unemployed, and underemployed individuals and formally recognize them as stewards. After all, it's in no one's interest, supporter, volunteer, or funder, for our team to burn out, become disillusioned, and drop out of a program as meaningful as this one.

Mampi exemplifies what it means to be a community steward in the Carr's Bay area. He presents challenges that keep me alert, and listening to his thoughts and experiences has been sometimes difficult but often enlightening. It has also fueled my desire to be even more pragmatic in my approach when designing community experiences for environmental wellbeing. 🤔

Here's why a practical approach to environmental stewardship is important for small islands:

In other words, this is my perspective when people inquire about the benefits of joining CESI.

💰Enhance Your Finances

By engaging in data collection, you can help secure grants that will benefit our community. More funding means more employment opportunities and exciting projects that can increase your income!

🎨 Be Creative and Profit

Learn how to use local materials to create items you can gift, sell, or enjoy. It's a fun way to be resourceful, start a side business, and promote sustainability—all while showcasing Montserrat's renowned creativity!

🌟 Join Something Greater

Participating in this initiative connects you with incredible individuals in our community and helps highlight the wonderful activities happening on our island. Increased visibility brings more visitors and opportunities for everyone!

Our collective CESI Achievements in just 2 months

A juvenile sea turtle swims gracefully in the clear blue waters, symbolizing the Montserrat Community Environmental Stewardship Initiative's commitment to marine conservation and biodiversity.

After ten years of overcoming a very unique and diverse set of challenges, I’ve become adept at resourcefulness and optimizing funding. In collaboration with the MTA, we’ve achieved a great deal:

❤️We branded this program to align with our community’s spirit.

🏖️Formed a branding partnership with Fish 'N Fins.

🐟Organized community activities, such as beach clean-ups, trash surveys, and upcycling workshops.

🌱I’ve had the honor of mentoring four exceptionally talented youth leaders.

📊Conducted the first environmental awareness survey for the Montserrat Tourism Authority.

👥Developed a growing online community of approximately 50 members.

⚙️Implemented a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to streamline our efforts.

🚀Collaborated with various islands and programs, including Adoptacoastline, Sea of Life, and The 5 Gryes Institute—and this is just the beginning!

Though I only have another 2.5 months left on this project, I am proud to be part of the team that keeps Montserrat environment protected, and thriving. This dedication is in my DNA; my father, "Samuel 'Arthur' Meade", has been leading community clean-ups on my island for decades and is the first environmental activist I’ve ever known. He’s also been conducting eco-tours since I was born :) Supposed that's had a bigger impact on me than I even realised.

Friends, I’ve discovered joy and hope in the initiatives of the Montserrat Tourism Authority, and the healing their CESI offers to our community (if people choose to embrace it) for both our residents and visitors. Collectively, we are creating a path for our community to better understand Montserrat’s natural resources while delivering benefits to the community NOW!