TCI Government and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew are undertaking the Caicos Pine Recovery programme, with part-funding from the UK Government's Overseas Territories Environment Programme OTEP. The Caicos pine, a regional endemic and the TC National Tree, is being killed by an invasive pine scale insect, probably introduced on Christmas trees imported from North America. The programme has established a nursery to grow the pines, and is investigating ways of controlling the insect in the pineyards. |