HURRICANE BERYL RELIEF FUNDRAISER

News Release August 7th 2024  
 

HURRICANE BERYL  

On July 1st, 2024, Hurricane Beryl made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in St. Vincent and the Grenadines causing huge destruction on our islands, decimating the islands of Mayreau and Union, Petit St. Vincent and Palm Island which were hit by the eye wall of the Hurricane.  Hurricane Beryl highlights the threat of climate change and underscores the urgency of the SVGEF’s conservation goals since 2015. 

Among the inhabited islands of SVG; Union and Mayreau were the hardest hit, with over 98% of the 3,000 residents losing their homes and boats. All forests and mangroves on Union Island suffered damage, with some areas seeing 100% of trees toppled and unable to recover, while others experienced about 40% tree and mangrove loss. The forest will require intervention and replanting for recovery. Similarly, many coral reefs and seagrass beds were destroyed. The SVGEF is committed to supporting the communities where we work, recognizing that conservation relies on strong relationships of trust. In the aftermath of the hurricane, we were among the first organizations to offer immediate assistance to the affected islands in the Grenadines. 

 

With extensive local knowledge, we are focused on providing targeted support through our existing networks within the affected communities. We aim to help rebuild with new resilience and with long term goals of sustainability and preservation of our biodiversity in partnership with the fishing communities who are custodians of our fragile ecosystems in the Grenadines.  

Please give generously. The February Foundation has pledged to match all funds up to US$125,000.00 Help us reach our goal to raise US$250,000.00 towards relief efforts. Send donations with code ‘SVGEF Union’ to help.

 

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