The Saint Helena National Trust is an independent

not-for-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organization which aims to preserve

Saint Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...

's environmental and

cultural heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by soci ...

. It was founded on 22 May 2002, the 500th anniversary of Saint Helena's discovery. The Patron of the Trust was

the Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was D ...

and has defaulted back to HRM The Queen. The Trust was established under the t Helena National Trust Ordinance, 2001 Its principle objectives are to preserve, maintain, manage, protect and augment, tender advice, promote access to and enjoyment of land, buildings, animal life, plant life, marine life, furniture, pictures, and documents and chattels of any description having national or historic or artistic interest.

Projects

The Millennium Forest is a 250-hectare area of replanting on the island, which aims to restore part of what was the Great Wood. The Trust continues to repopulate the Forest and uses it for community engagement, connecting the endemic species, and invertebrates in lesson planning and general awareness. The Trust is committed to the conservation of the

Saint Helena plover The Saint Helena plover (''Charadrius sanctaehelenae''), locally known as the wirebird due to its thin legs, is a small wader endemic to the island of Saint Helena in the mid-Atlantic. The bird is similar in appearance to Kittlitz's plover and ...

, the

national bird This is a list of national birds, including official birds of overseas territories and other states described as nations. Most species in the list are officially designated. Some species hold only an "unofficial" status. National birds See al ...

of the island, which is locally known as the wirebird. The Darwin Plus 107 project assists the Trust with the reduction of invasive vertebrate species that serves as a threat to the wirebird population. Within the last 4 years, the Trust has established a Marine Conservation Section, working in partnership with

Blue Marine Foundation Blue Marine Foundation (stylized as BLUE) is a marine conservation organisation. It was founded as a legacy project following the 2009 documentary film ''The End of the Line''. It has been involved in establishing marine reserves in the Chagos A ...

with a key focus being

whale sharks The whale shark (''Rhincodon typus'') is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of .McClain CR, Balk MA, Benfield MC, Branch TA, Chen C, Cosgrove J, ...

aka "Bone Shark" (local name). In 2006, Michel Dancoisne-Martineau donated the heart-shaped waterfall valley to the Trust. A new pathway was constructed through the valley, which opened in December 2010. The Trust also want to preserve and promote the island's built heritage, especially that from the 17th and 18th centuries. The Trust have begun a project to restore

High Knoll Fort High Knoll Fort is a redoubt-style fort of the English East India Company on Saint Helena, an island and British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. High Knoll is above sea level and is approximately one mile (1.6km) south of histo ...

near Jamestown.St Helena Herald
10 December 2010 - see p 6 The Trust is currently working on the digitalisation of the Archives, particularly focusing on the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

records of St Helena from 1673 and 1834.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Saint Helena National Trust website
Organizations established in 2002

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

Saint Helenian culture History of Saint Helena National trusts 2002 establishments in Saint Helena and Dependencies