To the Editor,
I am writing to sound the alarm about the rapid deterioration of the Wallings Forest Area — a decline made shockingly clear during a recent summer camp visit on July 16. What was once heralded as a model for regional community-led conservation has disintegrated into a state of total neglect.
The site currently lacks basic infrastructure: no restrooms, no informational signage, no formal orientation, and no logistical order of any kind.
Had it not been for the quick thinking, voluntary leadership, and impromptu problem-solving of the area's former manager, Ms. Refica Attwood — our contracted guide — the multi-camp visit could have easily resulted in a logistical disaster or an unsafe environment for the children involved.
Yet while her small team worked tirelessly on the ground to ensure an incident-free day, the broader reality was impossible to ignore: years of community work have gone down the drain, leaving the space abandoned in bureaucratic limbo.
Did the government make a monumental mistake? The answer is a resounding yes.
By allowing public-private negotiations to lapse and failing to establish a permanent framework for dedicated local trail wardens, the Ministry of Agriculture has permitted a crown jewel of Antigua's biodiversity to waste away. The public deserves to know the full story of how a world-class reserve was allowed to crumble into disrepair.
The government must immediately resolve its administrative disputes and reinstate dedicated, structured management at Wallings before this vital environmental asset is lost entirely.
Signed, A surviving camp visitor
