Capacité + newletter
CEPF Caribbean Islands Regional Implementation
| Welcome back to Capacité+!Your go-to source for the latest updates on CEPF conservation initiatives in the Caribbean Islands. |
Alto Velo Island, Dominican Republic. © SOH Conservacion.
This edition, we begin by acknowledging the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa on Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, two of our project countries.
We then highlight the work of CEPF grantee partners who are safeguarding the Caribbean’s unique ecosystems. From tackling invasive species and restoring dry forests to strengthening financial and technical capacity, their efforts show the power of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and local stewardship.
Start by exploring our visual story on dry forest restoration efforts led by CEPF grantee partners in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Saint Lucia. Then dive into features on regional collaboration through a conservation exchange in Anguilla, innovative approaches to building sustainability among Caribbean CSOs, and community-led invasive species control reshaping landscapes and livelihoods in the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve.
| Together, these stories reflect a shared commitment to ensuring Caribbean people and nature thrive, today and for generations to come. |
| We hope that you enjoy reading Capacité+! |
Cockpit Country, Jamaica, in a photograph taken before Hurricane Melissa. © Lauren Creary/Jamaica Environment Trust.
Supporting CEPF grantee partners after hurricane Melissa
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in south-western Jamaica on 28 October 2025 as a Category 5 storm after bringing heavy rains to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and then later affected Cuba and parts of The Bahamas. Although Jamaica is the worst affected, the storm has disrupted lives and operations across the Greater Antilles and The Bahamas.
In the immediate term, CANARI and CEPF are committed to supporting grantee partners affected by the hurricane and contributing to their recovery efforts.
Restoring dry forests in the Caribbean Islands
Dry forest restoration team in southern Enriquillo Lake, Duvergé Municipality, Dominican Republic. © Héctor Andújar-Grupo Jaragua
Often overlooked, dry tropical forests are among the world’s most threatened ecosystems. In Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Saint Lucia, CEPF-supported initiatives are addressing this challenge by restoring these fragile landscapes and strengthening local stewardship.
From replanting native species and controlling invasive ones to protecting endangered iguanas and updating management plans, CEPF grantee partners are building resilience in both ecosystems and communities.
Their work highlights how collaboration and local action can revive degraded dry forests and ensure that these unique Caribbean habitats continue to sustain life and livelihoods.
Lesser Antillean iguana measurements being taken. © Connor Blades.
| Islands taking action: Caribbean conservationists connect in Anguilla |
| From eradicating invasive species to planning species translocations, 15 conservation practitioners from eight Caribbean countries and territories gathered in Anguilla in June 2025 for a hands-on learning exchange under the auspices of CEPF grantee partners the Environmental Awareness Group and Re:wild, in collaboration with the Anguilla National Trust. The three-day field visit fostered practical skills, peer-to-peer learning and a shared commitment to protecting the region’s unique biodiversity. |
Read more / Leer más
| Control, training and commitment: Results of the project “Control of the invasive species Leucaena leucocephala in the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve, Dominican Republic” |
Leucaena leucocephala intended for livestock feed, Dominican Republic. © Fundación CI-Atabey.
From May 2024 to April 2025, Fundación CI-Atabey led a CEPF-supported project to combat the spread of the invasive Leucaena leucocephalaplant species in the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve.
Through community training, awareness campaigns and strengthened monitoring techniques, the initiative promoted sustainable management, transformed local attitudes and built lasting capacity for biodiversity conservation and community-led environmental stewardship.
SAVE THE DATE:
CEPF Caribbean Islands learning labs
Floating Classroom participants holding an Antiguan Racer (Alsophis antiguae), alongside Shanna Challenger from the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG), Antigua & Barbuda. © Credit: Chaso Media/EAG.
| We are pleased to announce the return of our Learning Lab series. We first introduced Learning Labs at the CEPF Midterm Assessment, and we are now bringing them back to continue sharing information, exchanging knowledge and sparking collaboration across the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot. Our first series will run over five weeks, from 19 February to 19 March 2026, and will kick off with a session on Citizen Science for Biodiversity Conservation, facilitated by Liliana Betancourt, the CEPF RIT Dominican Republic Country Coordinator. This session will explore how citizen science can enhance data collection, build community ownership and contribute to more effective conservation outcomes. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details! |
CEPF Caribbean small grants call opening soon
View of the Maria Islands from Pointe Sable beach, Saint Lucia. © CANARI.
We are pleased to announce that the 11th Call for Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) under the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) investment in the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot will open on Wednesday, 26 November 2025.
This round will focus exclusively on small grants. We encourage you to share this upcoming opportunity with your networks and begin thinking about project ideas aligned with CEPF’s priorities.
Learn more
Update on the Caribbean islands phase II portfolio status
Check out our infographic that provides a snapshot of the current status of CEPF grant-making in the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot.
Read more / Leer más
Critically endangered Sandy Cay rock iguana Cyclura rileyi cristata), The Bahamas. © Kelly Kingon.
Approved grants
To date, CEPF has issued thirty-one (31) large and thirty-one (31) small grants totalling over US$9.2 million under its second investment in the Caribbean region.
Explore our interactive map of current CEPF-funded projects in the Caribbean.
For more details on the grants that have been issued, click here.
Meet the CEPF Caribbean Islands Regional Advisory Committee (RAC)
RAC members at the CEPF Caribbean Islands Midterm Assessment Meeting, Dominican Republic. © Fondazione AVSI.
The CEPF Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) is a group of experts from across the Caribbean working to ensure grant applications are reviewed with integrity, scientific rigour, and alignment with national and regional environmental priorities.
Their breadth of experience spans biodiversity conservation, climate change, forest and ecosystem management, protected areas, and civil society
Read more
About the CEPF The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, Fondation Hans Wilsdorf, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Canada, the Government of Japan and the World Bank. The CEPF Phase II investment (August 2021–July 2027) in the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot is financed through the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund – Caribbean Hotspot Project of the World Bank, using funds provided by the Government of Japan. |
| About CANARI The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) is a regional technical institute which has been working in the islands of the Caribbean for over 30 years. Our mission is to promote and facilitate stakeholder participation in the stewardship of natural resources in the Caribbean |
