E74. From Dump Pit to Bird Haven: The Kimcha Village Sanctuary Story

The Sargassum Podcast

Charmaine Elliot used to work as a consultant/paralegal in many fields over the years until November 2021 when due to Medical Issues she was advised by her doctor to change her lifestyles. In 2012 her partner Kimmit Harvey and her during a lunch break decided to explore and he took her to a place where his grandfather took him as a young boy.That place is now known as Kimcha Village Bird Sanctuary. On the arrival of the area it was abandon and use as a garbage site due to the destruction of previous sand mining. Birds were dying and smelling due to the many vehicles that were dumped into the holds which were dug during sandmining and not fill up. These holds were now being replenish with salt water from underground. Kimcha Village Bird Sanctuary is Charmaines and Kimmits home that they share not just with tourist but with everyone. They say “come as Visitors, Leave as Family!” and host many programs to educate their communities and also to learn more from their seniors.

02:50 Introducing our guest

05:30 What is Sargassum to Charmaine

08:13 How much Sargassum is arriving and how are they utilizing it

09:45 Some instructions to our listeners on how to do coast line farming with Sargassum

14:53 Is Sargassum ever a nuisance to you?

16:05 What makes Charmine and Kimmit decide to acquire this property and what did they turn it from a dump pit wasteland into a beautiful, thriving bird sanctuary?

20:20 Seniors lunch every month to take care and enjoy the sanctuary as a wish of her mothers memory

25:18 The guns down, sails up program, what it is?

28:05 What Charmaine like most about living off grid?

31:44 Thoughts on the episode from Jenna and Fran

The Sargassum Podcast is made possible through funding by the Resilience, Sustainable Energy, and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID). Financed under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories Regional Programme, RESEMBID is being implemented by Expertise France, with the primary stakeholders being the 12 Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories.

Relevant links

Facebook https://es-la.facebook.com/Kimchavillage/

Website:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g23016315-d22999455-Reviews-Kimcha_Village_Bird_Sanctuary-Wheeland_Providenciales_Turks_and_Caicos.html