Saint Helena National Trust
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
|---|---|
| Founded | May 22, 2002 in Saint Helena |
| Headquarters | |
Key people |
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| Website | www |
The Saint Helena National Trust is an independent not-for-profit organisation which aims to preserve Saint Helena's environmental and cultural heritage. It was founded on 22 May 2002, the 500th anniversary of Saint Helena's discovery.
The trust was established under the St Helena National Trust Ordinance, 2001. Its principle objectives are to preserve, maintain, manage, protect and augment, tender advice, promote access to and enjoyment of land, buildings, animal life, plant life, marine life, furniture, pictures, and documents and chattels of any description having national or historic or artistic interest. It is a member of the International National Trusts Organisation.[1]
Projects
The Millennium Forest is a 250-hectare area of replanting on the island, which aims to restore part of what was the Great Wood. The trust continues to repopulate the forest and uses it for community engagement, connecting the endemic species and invertebrates, in lesson planning, and for general awareness.
The trust is committed to the conservation of the Saint Helena plover, the national bird of the island, which is locally known as the wirebird. The Darwin Plus 107 project assists the Trust with the reduction of invasive vertebrate species that serve as a threat to the wirebird population.
In 2018 the trust established a marine conservation section, working in partnership with Blue Marine Foundation, with a key focus being whale sharks, known locally as "bone sharks".[2]
In 2006, Michel Dancoisne-Martineau donated the heart-shaped Waterfall Valley to the trust. A new pathway was constructed through the valley, which opened in December 2010.
On 30 August 2024, the short documentary film Bone Shark Island, a co-production between Saint Helena National Trust and Swimming Head Productions, was released, and in 2025, it was declared the joint winner of the Houston Underwater Film Festival.[3][4][5]
The trust also wants to preserve and promote the island's built heritage, especially that from the 17th and 18th centuries. The trust have begun a project to restore High Knoll Fort near Jamestown.[6]
The trust is currently working on the digitisation of the archives, particularly focusing on the East India Company records of St Helena from 1673 and 1834. It also runs guided tours of Rupert's Valley, teaching visitors about Saint Helena's role in the freeing of slaves from the Atlantic slave trade.[7]
References
- ↑ "Our members". International National Trusts Organisation. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- ↑ "Marine Conservation". Saint Helena Trust. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- ↑ "Whale Sharks Off St Helena Island Featured In Award-Winning Film". 20 May 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- ↑ "Bone Shark Island". Film Freeway. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- ↑ "Bone Shark Island". YouTube. Swimming Head Productions. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- ↑ St Helena Herald Archived 23 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine 10 December 2010 – see p. 6
- ↑ Berry, Oliver (7 August 2024). "Meet Helena Bennett, the woman helping to preserve St Helena's wild landscapes for generations to come". National Geographic. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
