(Nevis, West Indies)
It might seem like David vs. Goliath, but tiny Nisbet Plantation, a 36-room luxury hotel in Nevis has thrown down the gauntlet and is taking on Mother Nature in a major conservation project to reduce beach erosion, preserve its native palm trees and create a more hospitable marine habitat.
Rather than using a sling-shot, Nisbet”˜s weapon of choice is the construction of an artificial reef just off its shore.
In the 1700’s, long before air conditioning, all the Caribbean’s sugar plantation Great Houses were built high in the mountains where cooler air came naturally. The lone exception is Nisbet Plantation which today has become famous for being the only deluxe plantation inn located directly on its own private beach. Preserving the beach is a priority for environmentally conscious Nisbet.
Over the last decade wave erosion has caused the loss of several palm trees close to the sea. Nisbet, which received its Green Globe Benchmarked Certificate last July, has initiated its new conservation project to preserve all its trees and reduce erosion of the beach. It is embarking on the construction of an artificial reef to reduce the energy of waves reaching the beach. When completed, the artificial reef will measure over 65 yards in length.