Seas & Scenes Photo Contest Is Now Closed

EPIC’s second annual Seas & Scenes: Love the Caribbean Photo Contest is now closed, with 609 photographs submitted—nearly double last year’s total. Thank you to everyone who shared their view of the Caribbean!

Enter Now! Seas & Scenes Photo Contest Returns with $3,000+ in Prizes and 12 Chances to Win

The 2026 Seas & Scenes: Love the Caribbean Photo Contest opens August 1. Get ready to share the Caribbean through your lens for 12 chances to win from a prize pool valued at more than $3,000—or join the fun by voting for your favorite images.

Major Milestone – EPIC Restoration of a Globally Important Caribbean Seabird Nesting Island

The successful removal of dozens of invasive goats from Battowia, one of the Caribbean’s most important seabird nesting islands, is a significant milestone achievement for the Grenadines Seabird Restoration Project implemented by EPIC and its partners.

Protecting Critical Wildlife in the Grenadines

A major conservation effort is underway in the Grenadines as EPIC and partners take action to restore fragile island ecosystems impacted by invasive species. Through a targeted and carefully managed goat removal operation, this work aims to protect native vegetation, stabilize habitats, and support the recovery of critical seabird nesting areas.

Honoring the Founders Who Built EPIC

After more than two decades of impact across the Caribbean, EPIC recognizes the founders who built the organization into what it is today. As Natalia Collier and Adam Brown step back from their day-to-day roles, their legacy lives on through the conservation work, partnerships, and communities they helped shape.

Blue Flag Returns to St. Maarten’s Marinas

Sustainable tourism in St. Maarten reaches a new milestone as two major marinas earn the prestigious Blue Flag certification. Now, with EPIC once again leading these programs locally in partnership with the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), the island is continuing to invest in sustainable tourism.

Introducing the 2026 Caribbean Resiliency and Climate Conversations Webinar Series

The 2026 Caribbean Resiliency and Climate Conversations Webinar Series brings together experts and organizations from across the region to share practical solutions for climate resilience. Explore upcoming sessions, watch past webinars, and register to join the conversation.

Students in Sint Maarten Learn Through Nature

Students across Sint Maarten are gaining hands-on environmental education through classroom lessons and field visits to Fort Amsterdam. Through EPIC’s BESTLife2030 project, students explored seabird ecology, planted native species, and observed the island’s important pelican colony, building a deeper understanding of local ecosystems and conservation in action.

Seabird Conversations in Bequia

Conversations with fishers, community leaders, and residents in Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines are shedding light on changing traditions and emerging threats to seabirds across the Grenadines. Through community meetings and local observations, EPIC gathered insights on seabird harvesting, shifting vegetation, and environmental changes affecting nearby offshore cays, highlighting the importance of combining scientific research with local knowledge to protect seabird populations.

EPIC’s 2025 Digital Annual Impact Report Is Now Live!

EPIC’s 2025 Digital Annual Impact Report is now available. Explore key conservation milestones, community partnerships, and regional impact stories from across the Caribbean.

Stewarding the Future: A Fisherman’s Journey

Celebrating 25 Years! Fisherman Vaughn Thomas grew up reading the ocean through seabirds and weather. After joining EPIC’s Seabird Guardians program, he began to view the islands as a connected ecosystem where wildlife and livelihoods rely on one another. Today he is one of nearly sixty trained Guardians who help protect seabirds and support community conservation across the Grenadines.

25 Years of EPIC: From Our First Grenadines Surveys to Today’s Restoration Work

As EPIC marks 25 years of conservation, we reflect on more than 16 years of work in the Grenadines, where our first surveys inspired the restoration and research efforts still shaping the islands today.

International Coastal Cleanup, Sint Maarten

More than 80 volunteers joined International Coastal Cleanup Day at Little Bay Beach, removing 2,397 pounds of trash while logging every item to guide year-round action. The result is a community win and a warning, underscoring the need to cut single-use plastics and strengthen waste management on Sint Maarten.

Winners Announced! – Caribbean Choice Awards all throughout October

Throughout October, the spotlight is on the Caribbean Choice Awards, celebrating this year’s standout images from the Seas & Scenes: Love the Caribbean Photo Contest 2025. Each week, new winners are being revealed across EPIC’s photo contest winners page and social media – one story, one image, and one perspective at a time.

Meet the Photo Contest Judges and See ALL 315 Photos Submitted

We are honored to introduce the distinguished judging panel for the successful Seas & Scenes: Love the Caribbean Photo Contest 2025. This accomplished panel brings together photographers, conservationists, and cultural storytellers—

Surprise Discovery of a Black-capped Petrel on Dominica

When a juvenile Black-capped Petrel appeared at a cable car station in Dominica, it wasn’t just a surprise—it was a breakthrough. With fewer than 2,000 breeding pairs remaining, this unexpected sighting offers new hope for one of the Caribbean’s most endangered seabirds and supports over a decade of EPIC-led efforts to locate nesting sites beyond Hispaniola.

VI Clean Coasts Expands to Focus on Green Restaurants

The VI Clean Coasts program is expanding to support restaurants, food trucks, and charter boats across the USVI. With new local coordinators, strategic partnerships, and a custom green certification in the works, we’re helping food businesses cut plastic and embrace sustainability.

Restoring Simpson Bay Lagoon and Fort Amsterdam Habitat, Sint Maarten

From mangrove planting in Simpson Bay Lagoon to building safe nesting platforms for threatened seabirds, EPIC and partners are revitalizing key ecosystems in Sint Maarten. With support from volunteers and sponsors, recent efforts also enhanced Fort Amsterdam, the last nesting site for the island’s national bird. These community-led projects are safeguarding coastal biodiversity and protecting vital habitats for future generations.

Successful Drone Training Session hosted by EPIC Grenadines

A hands-on drone training hosted by EPIC Grenadines is helping local conservationists protect remote island ecosystems. Led by GIS specialist Cornelius Lyttle and in collaboration with multiple national agencies, the training enhanced regional capacity for environmental monitoring. Drones are now being used to track seabird nesting, detect invasive species, and capture stunning aerial footage for outreach and science. This initiative is part of a larger restoration effort supported by Deepwater Horizon NRDA funds and key partners like USFWS and SCIENCE.

Conservation of Native Bats on Sint Maarten

EPIC is leading a critical bat conservation project on Sint Maarten to protect the island’s only native mammals and their rapidly disappearing habitats. In response to human disturbance and guano harvesting that forced bats from a major roosting cave, the team is using camera traps and advocacy to push for legal protections and safeguard these essential pollinators and pest controllers.

Transformative Three-Year Eco-Schools Project in USVI Wraps-Up

Celebrating the successful completion of the Eco-Schools “Water and Waste Smart Schools” project, which aimed to build capacity within U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) schools and the community for safe, clean, and affordable drinking water. Over three years the program empowered more than 5,500 students and 150 teachers to become water stewards through…

Your Support Powers EPIC Work – For Wildlife, People, and the Planet!

As EPIC’s fiscal year draws to a close on May 31, we’re celebrating the progress made in protecting Caribbean wildlife and communities. From Haiti to coastal islands, your support fuels critical conservation efforts. Help us finish strong with a gift today.

Making Waves for a Cleaner St. Maarten: Community Cleanups in Action

Volunteers, organizations, and community members united for two major cleanup events in St. Maarten, tackling plastic waste, invasive species, and habitat restoration. The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Lagoon Clean-Up focused on Simpson Bay Lagoon, while the Fort Amsterdam Cleanup & Learn event emphasized conservation training. Supported by local partners and the IUCN BESTLIFE2030 Grant Program, these efforts highlight the importance of protecting marine and coastal ecosystems.

Seabird Habitat Restoration Project Launched in St. Vincent & the Grenadines

EPIC has launched a seabird habitat restoration project in St. Vincent & the Grenadines, focusing on critical nesting sites on Battowia and the Pillories islands. These islands support important seabird populations threatened by habitat loss and invasive species. Through habitat restoration, species monitoring, and community engagement, this initiative aims to protect seabird colonies and strengthen conservation efforts in the Grenadines.

2024 EPIC IMPACT: Community Engagement Leads to Long-term Conservation Gains in Haiti

2024 EPIC IMPACTS- Considering the numerous environmental issues and impacts in the Caribbean, it might seem like nearly a decade of work focused on an endangered seabird, the Black-capped Petrel, could have limited scope. But Adam Brown, Black-capped Petrel Program Manager at EPIC, has seen it transform an entire community. Brown’s team efforts to protect the Black-capped Petrel—one of the rarest seabirds that nests high in Haiti’s mountains—sparked
a movement…

2024 EPIC IMPACT: Caribbean Climate Justice Camp

“The Climate Justice Camp Caribbean has sparked an unparalleled sense of solidarity among movement builders and activists in our region. It’s been amazing to witness people, many of whom are new to such events, embracing the crucial need to unify in the Caribbean. Seeing these interactions unfold in the heart of my community, Sint Maarten, adds an extra layer of significance to the work. We’re not simply facing the climate crisis; we’re rewriting the narrative of our collective futures for our islands,” said Riddhi Samtani, Climate Change Advocate and EPIC Associate about the first-ever Caribbean Climate Justice Camp.

2024 EPIC IMPACT: Welcome Back Hotel and Marina Eco-Certifications

Sint Maarten’s Green Key and Blue Flag internationally recognized eco-label programs have started back up again through the initiative of the EPIC Sint Maarten Foundation. Officially serving as the National Operator through the program administered by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), the goal is to promote sustainable tourism and protect the island’s natural environments, including beaches, coasts, and waterways.

2024 EPIC IMPACT: Caribbean Seabird Census

Avian biologist and EPIC co-founder Natalia Collier continues to advocate for a pan-Caribbean seabird census as a member of the BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group. This partnership program has succeeded in coordinating researchers and citizen scientists across the region to contribute data on seabird breeding colonies, which play a critical role in the health of marine ecosystems. This is crucial for understanding the health of Caribbean seabird populations, which have declined dramatically in recent decades.

2024 EPIC IMPACT: Water and Waste Smart Schools

More than 4,000 students from 7 public schools in the U.S. Virgin Islands participated in the interactive science curriculum called Water Heroes and received free reusable water bottles through a grant-funded partnership between EPIC and the Virgin Islands Conservation Society’s Eco-Schools program.

2024 EPIC IMPACT: Turning the Tide on Plastic Waste In St. Maarten

“Plastic pollution is everyone’s problem,” says Fleur Hermanides, President of the EPIC Sint Maarten Foundation and architect of the Perpetual Plastics Program. The Perpetual Plastics Project marks a groundbreaking effort to tackle the island’s waste crisis.

2024 IMPACT: Exciting News for Caribbean Seabird Conservation!

2024 EPIC IMPACT – A landmark development in EPIC’s seabird conservation is the funding secured through the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Settlement. The catastrophic 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico impacted migratory seabirds that traverse the Caribbean, potentially leaving long-lasting ecological scars. Under the settlement, EPIC will receive ~$700,000 over five years to restore critical seabird habitats in the Grenadines.

Hurricane Beryl Leaves Grenadines in Ruins

EPIC is rallying support to help the communities in the Grenadines recover after the devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl. With over 95% of homes damaged on some islands and essential boats destroyed, the need for aid is urgent. Your donation can make a real difference in restoring livelihoods for fisherfolk, tour operators, and others who rely on these boats. Together, we can help the Grenadines rebuild and thrive. Donate now to support the cause.

Black-capped Petrel Added to the U.S. Endangered Species List!

The Black-capped Petrel has been officially listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a major step forward in conservation efforts. This status under the Endangered Species Act brings heightened protection, focused conservation initiatives, and increased collaboration to ensure the survival of this remarkable bird. EPIC is proud to be part of this journey, working with local communities to protect habitats and promote sustainable practices. Join us in celebrating this milestone and supporting efforts to protect the Black-capped Petrel!

Driving Future Conservation Through Internships

EPIC is dedicated to supporting the next generation of conservation leaders through internships. These opportunities provide hands-on experience in projects like wildlife monitoring, marine debris management, and tackling climate change impacts. Our interns bring fresh perspectives and energy, playing a crucial role in our mission to protect the Caribbean environment. By investing in young talent, EPIC ensures a future of skilled professionals ready to tackle environmental challenges.

Welcome Our Summer 2024 Interns

This summer, EPIC is excited to welcome two exceptional interns. Their dedication and innovative approaches to environmental conservation in the Caribbean are already making a significant impact on our projects. We look forward to seeing their continued contributions throughout the season.

EPIC Closes it’s 24th Year in May – HELP US END THE YEAR STRONG!

As EPIC concludes our 24th year of delivering world-changing conservation programs and projects, it’s inspiring to see the tangible, positive benefits of the work that we do. This fiscal year we…

EPIC Co-Hosts First-Ever Caribbean Climate Justice Camp

The first-ever Caribbean Climate Justice Camp for 120 community leaders from more than 25 Caribbean nations was hosted by EPIC, EPIC Sint Maarten, Roots, and many collaborators on March 28-31 on Sint Maarten. The successful event built knowledge and networks, included the sharing of stories and skills, and the co-creation of strategies to address conservation challenges faced by the region.

Tourism Eco-Label Certifications Return to Sint Maarten

It’s back and better than ever! The Blue Flag and Green Key eco-label certification for marinas, beaches, hotels and restaurants is back up and running in Sint Maarten where the EPIC Sint Maarten Foundation serves as the national operator for the two internationally recognized awards.

Perpetual Plastics: Recycling, Educating, and Engaging

With the Perpetual Plastics Project, EPIC Sint Maarten is creating a community-based solution for the significant single-use plastic problem by offering on-island recycling via a social workspace.

Field Work And Training Completed For The Sint Maarten Terrestrial Biodiversity Assessment

As part of the Coastal Resilience and Needs Assessments project (CORENA), over 300 species were observed during a 12 day biodiversity assessment in St. Maarten with the objective to provide information to guide sustainable habitat management and responsible future development.

Epic Welcomes New Program Manager Delroy de Lain

Please welcome Mr. Delroy de Lain who has joined the foundation Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) Sint Maarten under contract as Program Manager, where he will coordinate a variety of research, education, and conservation projects.

Apply Now! Caribbean Youth Climate Activists for the Climate Justice Camp

The free Climate Justice Camp: Caribbean Edition will bring together people from the region to take part in four days of workshops and events to build knowledge, strategies, capacity, community, and networks on Sint Maarten, March 28-31, 2024.

First-Ever GPS Tracking of Red-footed Booby Seabirds, Grenadines

While protecting seabird nesting islands is of utmost importance, and a goal of EPIC programs in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, we also need to understand where the birds find food and protect those areas.

A Community of Support for Slurpy Pumpout Boat

Once again, EPIC will be offering a mobile sewage pumpout service for boats in Sint Maarten.

EPIC and Partners Receive $700K for Pollution Prevention in the Virgin Islands

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has chosen the U.S. Virgin Islands (VI) to receive nearly $700,000 in funding under EPA’s Environmental Justice in Communities program to assist restaurants, bars, food trucks and other food service companies to cut waste.

EPIC Partners With IGY to Offer ‘Slurpy’ Pumpout Service

MAHO – The foundation Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) Sint Maarten and The Business Point are working to re-establish sewage pumpout boat service in and around the Simpson Bay Lagoon thanks to support and donations from business partners such as Island Global Yachting (IGY). “Without IGY’s donation of dock space for the pumpout boat […]

Anderson Jean Awarded Prestigious Bright Award

EPIC colleague and valuable team member Anderson Jean was awarded the prestigious Stanford University Bright Award in a ceremony on the Stanford campus, California in June 2023.

Water Smart Schools USVI Celebrates First Year

Drinking water is never taken for granted on a Caribbean Island, and in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) access to clean, affordable drinking water can be a struggle. That’s why EPIC is celebrating the Water Smart Schools USVI Program.

Dogs – Helping and Harming Petrels on Dominica

A recent expedition to Dominica, as part of EPIC’s ongoing efforts to find new Black-capped Petrel nesting locations, was aided by a sniffer dog named Africa and her handler. Sniffer dogs can be trained to find all sorts of things, including burrow-nesting birds like petrels. Yet, two hundred years ago in Dominica, pet dogs used by colonists led to the disappearance of petrels who were hunted for food. Will dogs that once hurt the petrel population on Dominica be the helpers that discover their elusive nesting grounds so that they can be protected in the future?

Sint Maarten Pelican Team Makes a Difference

The Caribbean Brown Pelican is the national bird of St. Maarten. There have been alarming reports of sick and dying birds, along with declining numbers in recent years. Concerned about the health of this important seabird, EPIC is researching the status of the island’s Pelicans and promoting their protection.

EPIC is Now Part of the 1% For the Planet Program

EPIC is proud to announce our acceptance as an environmental partner in the 1% for the Planet global network of businesses, individuals, and environmental organizations tackling our planet’s most pressing environmental issues. If you are a one percent business partner, please connect with us!

First U.S. Virgin Islands Project Announced

Safe, clean, and affordable drinking water is not readily accessible to school children, or the wider community, in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) due to a complex set of factors. Children must bring single-use plastic water bottles to school daily to stay hydrated in the warm climate, which is costly and further exposes them to […]

Congratulations Anderson Jean, Stanford Law School’s 2022 Bright Award Winner!

Co-Founder of the leading Haitian conservation organization Action pour la Sauvegarde de l’Ecologie en Haiti (ACSEH) and Environmental Protection in the Caribbean’s (EPIC) Haiti Project Manager for the Black-capped Petrel Conservation Program, Anderson Jean, has been chosen as the 2022 Bright Award Winner. The Bright Award is given annually to an “individual who has made significant contributions in the environmental preservation and sustainability area.”

Cay-Hill Community Council hosts its first Community Cleanup

Updates about this project, student applications, and clean-up dates will be posted on EPIC’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/epicislands. Project coordinators Riddhi Samtani and Laura Bijnsdorp can be reached at projects@epicislands.org for enquiries and collaborations.

The Caribbean Seabird Webinar Continues with Natalia Collier

A step-by-step will be helpful for figuring out how best to monitor seabirds from land or sea in a variety of habitats. A team of experts will be on hand to answer your questions. Register at bit.ly/CaribSeabird-Webinar3.

Hike Sint Maarten!

Upcoming Hike Dates and Locations:
*Sunday 4th September – Naked Boy Hill –  Map
*Sunday 2nd October – West Coast Trail – Map
*Sunday 6th November – hike to be determined, Watch this Space!
*Sunday 4th December – hike to be determined, Watch this Space!

Teaching Environmental Education in Haiti

It’s a bit dark in the classroom as there is no electricity for lights in the village of Boukan Chat, Haiti. The children have settled into the small school building at the center of town. Dressed in their school uniforms, sitting on wood benches, they wait for the teacher to start class. They hear a commotion from the back of the dark room and turn to see a six-foot tall Black-capped Petrel walk into the room flapping its wings.

First Petrel Nest Found on Haiti’s Highest Peak

In May, a small team of Haitian petrel biologists pulled out of the small dusty town of Jacmel, and headed their pick-up truck northeast. They eased it up the heavily rutted road to begin their expedition to see if endangered Black-capped Petrels nested on the mountain called Pic La Selle. Due to the remote nature of that area, few biologists had visited it for more than 60 years, when some of the first known Black-capped Petrels in Haiti were found there by David Wingate during expeditions in 1961 and 1963.

Naming the Many Seabirds of the Grenadines

A seabird identification workshop in the Grenadines archipelago is helping to increase the capacity of law enforcement to protect important seabird populations on remote offshore islands. During the two-day training, participants learned to identify species in the field and familiarized themselves with local conservation threats, they may encounter in their work, such as poaching.

EPIC to Collect Data on Littering Habits of St. Maarten Residents

A new awareness campaign titled “Why do we litter? – Sint Maarten” was kicked off in May by Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) Sint Maarten Foundation and includes more than a dozen neighborhood clean-up events during 2022. With the collected data the researchers aim to formulate sustainable and actionable follow-up steps to prevent litter on the island.

Free Hike-Guide Training Offered on Sint Maarten

EPIC Sint Maarten invites people interested in becoming volunteer hike leaders to participate in a free two-hour training session this Sunday April 3, 2022, at 9 – 11 a.m. at the SFC/R4CR office (the old WIB branch) on AT Illidge Road.

EPIC in the News – Caribbean Compass

Check out the recent edition of the Caribbean Compass -The Caribbean’s Monthly Look at Sea & Shore –  for two awesome articles about EPIC. See page 10 for “From Two to Team: The Story of EPIC” and page 11 for “Conserving the Black-Capped Petrel.”

Conservationists Pen Action Plan to Protect Extremely Elusive and Endangered Seabird

“Conserving the Diablotin” informed by a decade of exploration and research January 28, 2022—The Endangered Black-capped Petrel is a seabird so secretive that ten years ago, only one active nest had ever been located and monitored. Despite this tremendous gap in knowledge, the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group created an action plan in 2012 to […]

Community Helps Identify Restoration Sites

Deciding which sites are most important for restoration takes a community effort. The knowledge and experience of Working Group members are crucial for making informed decisions. In this case, the subject was non-native mammals that damage island biodiversity and…

Tumultuous Times Brought by Haiti Earthquake

EPIC team members were visiting petrel nesting sites, high in the mountains of Haiti, when they received text messages on 14 August at about 8:30 a.m., that a massive 7.2 earthquake was rocking their homes. The team quickly made their way back to discover…

Island Conservation Takes Off with Drone Training

Monitoring wildlife can be challenging in remote or difficult to reach places. The use of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), also known as a drone, is one method for ensuring that local enforcement agencies can monitor and protect wildlife, such as seabirds which nest on uninhabited islands in the Grenadines. Learn more…

Haiti Relief Shelters for Les Cayes

THANK YOU to all the generous and caring supporters who responded to our request and donated towards Haiti Relief. We raised more than $4,000 and were able to ship supplies and shelters directly to Les Cayes, where EPIC teams live and work.
​ We are all so grateful. Thank you again.

Taking to the Air to Protect Seabirds

This is the season when migratory seabirds, such as terns and gulls, return to the Grenadines islands to nest. This abundance of birds, that may number in the thousands, unfortunately attracts poachers who collect eggs and chicks from these nesting colonies.

Taking Care of Sint Maarten

With pandemic restrictions easing, the EPIC Sint Maarten Foundation was able to get out and join our partners and volunteers in providing three socially-distanced events to care for natural areas in the last few months.

How Pride Protects Wild Places

Conserving wildlife and wild places takes many forms. Research is important to understand what is going on with a species. Conservation stewardship activities are vital to slowing down and reversing harm to plants and animals. Education plays a valuable role in explaining to people why wild things and wild places are important. But another aspect […]

Burning of Protected Areas and Seabird Harvesting Illegal

As we enter the dry season, the public is reminded to not set fires on offshore islands as fires have negative effects on natural areas, both on land and in the ocean. Many islands in the Grenadines are refuges for wildlife, including globally important populations of nesting seabirds, and all are sensitive to fires and […]

Litter Removed from Offshore Islands to Protect Wildlife

As part of its commitment to reducing man-made threats to seabirds and other marine and island biodiversity, the organization Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) has sponsored coastal litter cleanups on several uninhabited seabird breeding islands of the transboundary Grenadines, namely Mabouya, White, Sandy, and Petit Rameau. To date, hundreds of pounds of garbage have […]