The 3,088-acre Grand Etang Forest Reserve, established in 1906, is the oldest and largest protected area in Grenada. Grand Etang’s varied elevation and terrain maintain several different ecological subsystems, culminating in elfin woodlands high up the slopes of the reserve’s central mountains.
The focal point of the forest reserve is the 36-acre lake, called Grand Etang (big pond), which fills the crater of an extinct volcano. The rainforest around the lake holds a rich diversity of plants and animals. There are colorful tropical birds, tiny frogs, lizards, and rare orchids. Indigenous plants include towering mahogany and giant gommier trees, a multitude of ferns, tropical flowers, and more. Grand Etang, in St. Andrew’s Parish, is the most popular inland attraction on the island, visited by tens of thousands of people annually. But Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Emily (2005) devastated the forest reserve.
Seacology is funding the construction of three viewing towers, picnic tables, and interpretative signage for the reserve. The towers and signage will be placed at three strategic locations within the reserve. The tables will be installed in a designated picnic area on the shores of the lake.
