Royal Gazette: Protecting what makes Bermuda Bermuda
There are places in Bermuda that live quietly in our hearts.
A winding nature trail first explored as a child. A cottage that has stood for centuries. A coastline that reminds us, each time we return, why this island is unlike anywhere else in the world. These places are not just scenery. They are memory, identity and belonging. And once they are lost, they are lost for ever.
Bermuda is small, finite and uniquely vulnerable. Our natural spaces cannot be replaced. Our historic buildings and cultural sites, once altered or destroyed, cannot be recreated.
But when just 32 per cent of Bermuda remains undeveloped, only 9 per cent is fully protected as nature reserves, and 55 historic buildings have disappeared in the past 15 years, it’s clear that the island we love is under strain. From the pressure of development reshaping our landscape and communities to invasive species, protecting what makes Bermuda Bermuda has never been more urgent.
Without intentional action, we risk losing the places and stories that define us — and with them, a vital part of our national identity. That is why protecting Bermuda’s heritage matters — not as nostalgia, but as a responsibility to future Bermudians.
The places we protect connect generations. They foster pride and anchor us in who we are. The Bermuda National Trust exists to protect these connections, preserving both natural and cultural heritage, recognising that the two are inseparable.