Trees Company: Peruse the Plants of Paradise at Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve

If "off the beaten path" were a place, it would be Eleuthera: Secluded, unspoiled, and awe-inspiringly beautiful. Preserving the natural resplendence of this Caribbean gem is at the root of why Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve (LLNPP) - Eleuthera's first national park - was founded.

This 30-acre preserve, which opened to the public in 2011, is centrally located just South of French Leave Beach on Banks Road, on the island's Atlantic side. It was the vision of longtime residents and nature lovers Leon Levy and Shelby White. When her husband died, White partnered with The Bahamas National Trust to breathe life into their dream of establishing a place to bask in Eleuthera's natural beauty while also paving a way to protect it for the future.

Today, the Preserve features 2 miles of trails, most of it dense with an expansive array of 300+ species of native flora like Bahamian hardwood, mangroves, and bright-colored bromeliads and orchids. Locals and tourists agree it's a perfect place for hiking, bird watching, photographing, learning, connecting, and reflecting.

May the Forest Be With You

Throughout the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve, you'll discover winding coppice footpaths, mangrove boardwalks, and wetland trails.

Paths include:

• Mangrove Boardwalk & Wetland Trail
• Medicinal Trail
• Epiphyte Trail
• Economic Botany Trail
• Suniva's Trail (great for kids & less physically capable)
• Tower Trail & Ethan's Tower (75' above sea level - 20' tall upon a 55' ridge - with a 360-view above the tree canopy)

"It's an opportunity for people to learn about the natural history of native plants, the different ways people have used them through time, and what we must do now to conserve them," said Dr. Ethan Freid, Botanist at the LLNPP.

As the only accredited botanical garden in The Bahamas, the Preserve has been formally recognized for its achievements in plant conservation by Botanic Gardens Conservation International. Some plant species thriving here grow only in The Bahamas.

The Preserve is also renowned for its education & research programs, including an intensive 6-week university-level internship on plant taxonomy.

Other elements of the Preserve include a welcome center/gift shop, educational pavilion (used for school field trips, lecture series, concerts, community events, and international workshops), a weather station, lath house, and a native plant nursery used for seed germination research and to aid reforestation efforts.

Traverse the rich, Bahamian red soil, and learn the fascinating science of how it was carried over by the winds of West Africa. There are also delightful displays of:

• Endemic beds (plants you will find only in the Bahamas - and some only on a single island)
• Poisonous plants (look, but definitely don't touch!)
• Edible history garden (showing the history of agriculture in the Bahamas)

A shaded copse of coconut trees opposite the welcome center offers an ideal spot from which to admire the manmade waterfall as colorful hummingbirds and bananaquits flit from feeder to feeder seeking nectar.

Most visitors spend about 2 hours meandering the grounds, but one could easily linger for longer - well worth the $10/person entry fee.

Guided tours can also be arranged by contacting the staff in advance. Check too for periodic special events like concerts and full moon walks.

A Mission to Preserve & Protect

The Preserve offers a unique chance for visitors to revel in the enchanting allure of the "real" Bahamas. But beyond that, Dr. Freid hopes guests walk away with a greater understanding of how essential these plants have historically been to the survival of those who called this place home - and why they're still worth protecting. Today, the greatest threat to Eleuthera's thriving ecosystems is unprecedented biodiversity loss. It's actually a global problem, but one especially evident on small islands, where even light actions can have serious and lasting consequences.

"These are such fragile ecosystems that are so dependent on the natural environment being resilient," Dr. Freid explained. "The Bahamas is right on the edge. So when adverse impacts happen, they can happen in big ways. And even small losses can get magnified."

One of the most alarming aspects of biodiversity loss is that when a species disappears, we don't truly know the full scope of what we're losing.

"We're losing species before we even fully recognize their role in the environment or their potential for things like medicine," Dr. Freid said. "And then also, there's a cascade effect. When you lose one species, you don't know how many more that were dependent on it are going to follow."

The importance of protecting species yet to be discovered was distinctly underscored in 2013, when biologists surveying arthropods at the preserve discovered a whole new species of katydid. Scientists named it Erechthis levyi, in honor of Leon Levy.

While the LLNPP is the first of Eleuthera's national parks, a second was named just this month: Seahorse National Park. The landlocked saltwater pond & cave system at Hatchet Bay is home to a unique species of endemic lined seahorses. The national park designation gives The Bahamas National Trust greater leverage to seek stronger protections for the site - specifically against threats of unregulated ecotourism, farming, unsustainable development, unlawful seahorse extraction, and pollution. (For tips on how to visit this site responsibly, please contact The BNT.)

What Visitors Are Saying

"Great place for nature lovers. Nice hiking trails with abundance of different plant species." - Tony M., May 2022

"Enjoyed learning more about the history of the Bahamas, the indigenous people, the native plants/vegetation, and how they evolved." -Caroline F., Feb. 2023

"Beautiful preserve, well planned & organized. Learned a lot about native plants, as well as the history of the island. ... Brilliant to have Dr. Ethan Freid there answering our questions!" - Sophia M., Jan. 2023

"Superb! Fantastic! Go!" -C.G., June 2023

"Excellent place with so much to look at and enjoy. It was a nice break from the beach days. Learned so much about the local plants and animals, along with some history of the island. Finally understand all the holes and rocks around the island - and why the soil is red." -F.G., June 2023

For More Information

For more information on the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve, visit levypreserve.org or email info@levypreserve.org or call (242) 332-3831.

*Photos of Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve are courtesy of The Bahamas National Trust & Dr. Ethan Freid, LLPNN Botanist.