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Blue Iguana Conservation (BIC) is excited to announce their Blue Iguana Gardens initiative. Individuals, families, schools, local businesses and developers can sign up and identify areas within private land and gardens in order to grow and maintain supplemental food sources for the blue iguanas housed at the conservation breeding facility. Plants identified as food suitable for blue iguanas may already exist in your garden or on your land. In addition, participants are encouraged to grow native plants in their home gardens to benefit the endangered flora of Cayman and support other local wildlife, biodiversity as well as providing a food source/food collection location for our precious blues. Operations Manager (BIC), Luke Harding said “Supporting the conservation of blue iguanas is not solely a task for BIC but a responsibility for everyone. The only way that we achieve long term sustainability is to work as a collective. This exciting initiative allows everyone to be involved and make a difference from local businesses, schools, landowners, right up to an individual with a balcony and a flowerpot. It’s a community effort” The driving force behind this unique opportunity to engage the community in supporting the Blue Iguana Gardens initiative is due to the loss of habitat and food sources for our blues. Sadly, we have lost nineteen out of thirty-two identified food sites due to change in landscape, and development pressures. The loss of these wild spaces impacts not only blue iguana food collection sources, but also habitats and food sources for butterflies, birds, insects and other native wildlife that are dependent on these environmental areas. By empowering the general public to become involved in growing food plants the pressure on wild food collection sites will be eased and Cayman will become better engaged with this incredible species that is not found anywhere else in the world! Moreover, it reaches a wider aim which is to restore and protect native plant species and wild habitats for the overall benefit of the environment. Creating a Blue Iguana Garden does not mean that you will have blue iguanas in your garden or encourage the presence of the invasive green iguana. “This initiative goes far beyond feeding iguanas, it is a way to help encourage engagement with the environment on all levels. It increases the immersion for people into Cayman’s natural beauty and the understanding of the island fauna and flora for all ages” explained Luke. If you are interested in joining the Blue Iguana Garden initiative you can sign up online via our website https://nationaltrust.org.ky/blue-iguana-gardens/ Here you will find additional resources such as a Blue Iguana Garden Plant List and Blue Iguana Garden Pack. Contact bic@nationaltrust.org.ky for more details on how to become involved in this programme or to make a donation in support of Blue Iguana Conservation.