Ins & Outs of SVG 2020

132 UNION ISLAND INS& UTS Discover Located at the heart of the Southern Grenadines, and surrounded by some of the best sailing and diving waters in the world, Union Island is most famous for life on the sea. But this beautiful “Tahiti of the West Indies” has a lot to offer in the way of hiking and touring, beginning with the three highest peaks in the Grenadines and including one of the healthiest undisturbed dry forests in this part of the world. An Authentic Grenadine Experience The British Crown bought Union Island from the last private owner in 1910 and set up a Land Settlement Scheme to sell 2 and 4-acre lots to the residents at peppercorn prices. Today, a small community of some 3,000 Union Islanders provide a good selection of activities and services to visitors, upon whom the economy largely depends. Union Islanders have historically travelled the world to earn a living, but modern tourism has created sufficient jobs to allow more locals to remain at home. Nevertheless, Union Island marches very much to the beat of its own drum and has remained an island of its people, thereby offering an authentic Grenadine island experience for visitors. Union Island Gecko There is a little jewel of a gecko (Gonatodes daudini), completely unique to Union Island, that was recently discovered and registered by Father Mark DaSilva and Matthew Harvey. When the Forestry Division of St. Vincent and The Grenadines discovered that this rare reptile was being poached and sold to collectors around the world, they had it officially classified as critically endangered in Appendix I of CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). The area that this gecko inhabits can now only be visited when accompanied by a ranger from the Union Island Environmental Attackers. Tel: (784) 526-4500 Chatham Dry Forest Reserve Union Island has some large tracts of dry tropical forest that have been relatively undisturbed, resulting in endemic species of reptiles, interesting birdlife and a variety of endemic flora. Interesting reptiles include the Pink Rhino Iguana, Union Island Gecko, White Snake and Congo Snake, neither of which are poisonous. The birdlife is plentiful, with the chachalaca birds or wild pheasants from South America being of particular interest. Big Sands, Bloody Bay, Chatham Bay Photo: Dan Christaldi Kite Beach Photo: kitesurfgrenadines.com