{"id":3490,"date":"2018-04-13T14:18:35","date_gmt":"2018-04-13T18:18:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/science-talk\/?p=3490"},"modified":"2018-04-13T16:36:59","modified_gmt":"2018-04-13T20:36:59","slug":"balancing-conservation-commerce-nybg-jetblue-launch-caribbean-consortium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/science-talk\/2018\/04\/balancing-conservation-commerce-nybg-jetblue-launch-caribbean-consortium\/","title":{"rendered":"Balancing Conservation and Commerce: NYBG and JetBlue Launch the Caribbean Consortium"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stevenson Swanson is the Science Media Manager at The New York Botanical Garden.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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\"IUCN<\/a>
As shown here, many of Cuba\u2019s endangered plant species are in currently unprotected areas that could be developed. Click for a closer look.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Representatives of The New York Botanical Garden and JetBlue Airways launched their new Caribbean Consortium at a recent meeting at the Botanical Garden\u2019s Pfizer Plant Research Laboratory. The consortium, which was announced in February<\/a>, will address the linked issues of conservation and commerce across the Caribbean, a vital part of JetBlue\u2019s network and a longtime focus<\/a> of the Garden\u2019s Plant Research and Conservation program.<\/p>\n

With the goal of striking a balance between conservation and commerce, the consortium will bring together a cross-section of key stakeholders from business, academia, and non-governmental organizations, such as the Center for International Policy<\/a>, a Washington, D.C., foreign policy research and advocacy group, whose Cuban program director, Elizabeth Newhouse, participated in the meeting. Also joining was Robert Muse, a Washington attorney who has worked on Cuban issues since the early 1990s.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis partnership with JetBlue is going to help translate conservation research into conservation action<\/em>,\u201d said Brian Boom, Ph.D., the Garden\u2019s Vice President for Conservation Strategy, who has traveled to Cuba regularly since 1988 to conduct research and build relationships with his Cuban counterparts.<\/p>\n

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For JetBlue, the partnership with the Garden is an extension of the airline\u2019s conservation efforts in the Caribbean, outlined in EcoEarnings: A Shore Thing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cJetBlue wants to protect the region\u2019s natural beauty, which in turn protects progress and our business,\u201d said Sophia Mendelsohn, JetBlue\u2019s head of sustainability.<\/p>\n

Meeting participants noted that as travel to Cuba increases, the demand for hotels, recreational facilities, and other destination amenities has resulted in a number of proposals for new developments, such as several golf courses along Cuba\u2019s coastline, that have the potential to affect native plant species and their habitats. Through the work of the Garden\u2019s Geographic Information System (GIS) laboratory, Garden researchers have identified currently unprotected areas where plants classified as vulnerable or endangered have been found.<\/p>\n

As a first step in Cuba, the consortium will address the issue of sustainable travel by identifying proposed development projects, such as golf courses, hotels, and airports, and make recommendations that could inform planning efforts so that projects do not affect Cuba\u2019s biodiversity.<\/p>\n

Also, thanks to the Garden\u2019s long-standing relationship with Cuba\u2019s national network of 13 botanical gardens\u2014which was formalized last year with the signing of a memorandum of understanding<\/a>\u2014the Garden will evaluate ways it can collaborate with the Cuban gardens to develop materials to promote sustainable travel.<\/p>\n

Turning to the Caribbean as a whole, the Garden is in the midst of assessing the conservation status of the region\u2019s plant species and has existing relationships with many research and conservation groups across the Caribbean. As Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands, and other islands work to recover from last year\u2019s devastating hurricanes, the Garden\u2019s research and relationships on the affected islands could help inform JetBlue\u2019s marketing efforts to revive tourist travel as a way to support the islands\u2019 recovery efforts.<\/p>\n

With no shortage of ideas and possibilities, the Consortium is now planning its short-term goals for the next three to six months and long-term goals for the following six to 12 months.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stevenson Swanson is the Science Media Manager at The New York Botanical Garden. Representatives of The New York Botanical Garden and JetBlue Airways launched their new Caribbean Consortium at a recent meeting at the Botanical Garden\u2019s Pfizer Plant Research Laboratory. The consortium, which was announced in February, will address the linked issues of conservation and… <\/p>\n

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