Mister Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to inform this Honourable House of the publication of the BVI Environmental Atlas.

The Atlas was the brainchild of Mr. Bertrand Lettsome and its development began in 2002 through an initial Grant from the UK Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP). The National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands collaborated with thirty nine (39) local, regional and international experts to create this very valuable resource.

The National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands (NPTVI) received a second injection of funding from the Governor’s Office in 2020 in order to get the publication done. Mister Speaker after a long hiatus, we are happy to announce that the Atlas is available! Up until this point, the teaching of geography and the environment in BVI Schools has relied upon the use of regional and international Atlases. We now have our own and can share with the world our unique features.

Mister Speaker, this new Environment Atlas is anticipated to become a critical resource for teachers and students throughout the Territory and we will be distributing the first copies to our schools very shortly. The National Parks Trust is working on getting copies available for sale to the general public.

Thank you Mister Speaker.