At first glance, Redonda might seem a forgotten hunk of rock suspended in the Caribbean—steep cliffs, ragged slopes, no freshwater, no human settlement. Yet the island has recently authored one of nature’s most remarkable resurrection stories.
What was once a dust-scoured moonscape crawling with invasive rats and goats is now a flourishing sanctuary alive with birds, lizards, and lush vegetation. Its journey from devastation to ecological role model offers hope—and lessons—for restoration efforts across the globe.
The Island That Time Forgot
Redonda belongs to Antigua and Barbuda, lying between Montserrat and Nevis in the Lesser Antilles. This uninhabited volcanic island, only about 1 km by 0.5 km, rises nearly 300 m above sea level. Without a reliable source of fresh water and hemmed by towering cliffs, the island was never hospitable to people.
Yet Redonda once played a different role. From the 1860s until the start of World War I, guano mining drove human occupation. That harvested seabird droppings for phosphate fertilizer, and later mining operations expanded in deforestation and rock extraction.
When mining ceased, workers left behind the legacy of rats and feral goats—two invasive species whose ecological havoc would mount for decades. On Redonda, goats stripped the sparse vegetation bare; rats preyed upon eggs, chicks, lizards, and invertebrates.
Over time, more soil and rock slid into the sea, eroding the slopes and choking coral reefs below with sediment. By 2016–17, the island’s flora was almost entirely wiped out—and only scattered fragments of its once-vibrant wildlife remained.
One conservation scientist, Jenny Daltry of Re:wild / Fauna & Flora, recalled: “We were seeing changes really fast.”
The Bold Restoration Begins
In 2016, a turning point arrived. A coalition of NGOs, government agencies, and local environmental groups launched the Redonda Restoration Programme, with the ambition to free the island from its invasive chains and let nature heal itself.
The first wave was dramatic and delicate. In 2017, teams applied rodenticide to eradicate roughly 6,000 black rats—taking great care to protect non-target species. Concurrently, the last handful of feral goats (about 60) were trapped and airlifted by helicopter to Antigua, where they would be cared for.
Once the invaders were removed, the island began to breathe again. Root systems took hold, grasses appeared, shrubs and trees reemerged. Seabirds like brown boobies and red-billed tropicbirds returned to nest. The endemic Redonda ground dragon (Ameiva atrata), once teetering on extinction, soared in numbers—up to 13 times more in some surveys.
By 2019, monitoring revealed staggering ecological recovery:
- Bird species richness leapt from 9 to 23 species
- Invertebrate abundance and vegetation biomass rose more than 20-fold
- Tree lizards increased roughly threefold, ground lizards eightfold
- Vegetation biomass surged 2,000 %
As Daltry put it with wonder, “We were seeing changes really fast.” By 2023, Redonda had been designated a protected area—the Redonda Ecosystem Reserve—spanning nearly 30,000 hectares of land, seabed, seagrass meadows, and coral reef. Its formal protection signals that Redonda is no longer just a restoration experiment—but a living, legally safeguarded ecosystem.
The Transformative Power Of Restoration
Beyond species counts or acreage, Redonda embodies a powerful message: restoration can be swift, measurable, and symbolic, and a small island can shift global narratives.
Nature’s resilience under pressure is striking. In just a few years, degraded land soared back to life. That is nothing short of miraculous in conservation terms. Redonda shows that if conditions are right—clearing pressures, protecting habitat—nature can rebound faster than we expect.
The island also serves as a blueprint for recovery worldwide. The model—local NGO-government partnerships, rigorous monitoring, invasive species removal followed by habitat protection—can be adapted for other fragile islands.
The transformation connects land and sea. As vegetation stabilizes soils, erosion into the sea diminishes, lessening the siltation that had suffocated coral reefs and seagrass beds. Seabird returns also mean nutrient flows from sea to land and back to sea via guano—helping rebuild marine productivity.
Perhaps the most poignant shift is cultural. Many Antiguans and Barbudans, once distant from the island’s struggle, have come to embrace Redonda as a national symbol. Conservation is no longer just science—it is pride and identity.
At a time when narrating climate breakdown is commonplace, Redonda’s story whispers a different message: nature can heal, if given a chance.
Challenges And The Road Ahead
Redonda’s revival is writing a hopeful chapter—but it is not without perils or unfinished business.
Biosecurity is essential. Removing rats and goats was only step one. Preventing reinvasion is nontrivial, and even a single stowaway rodent could undo years of progress. Surveillance and detection remain critical.
Invasive plants and competition also present challenges. Alongside fauna, invasive plant species must be managed lest they hamper native regrowth.
Marine ecosystems remain under recovery. Though coral reefs and seagrass beds are expected to rebound, detailed marine surveys and management plans are still needed.
Long-term sustainability depends on local ownership. Redonda’s future hinges on the continued involvement of local institutions, government, and communities. Encouragingly, local Antiguan and Barbudan staff are central to the project today.
What Redonda Teaches Us
Redonda is more than a conservation success—it is a beacon. It teaches that:
- Small spaces can yield outsized returns.
- Interventions can amplify natural recovery.
- Collaboration across scales is vital.
- Hope is not a naïve word but a real force for change.
When you stand on its craggy edge—imagining the wind on bare rock, then envisioning a woodland alive with birdsong—Redonda whispers this: nature is persistent, patient, and full of renewal.
May this Caribbean rock’s revival inspire islands, coastlines, and forests everywhere to whisper back to life.
Sources:
Fauna Flora
Mongabay
