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Maybe this is telling of my age, but my friends and I grew up liming on the seawalls along Sheriff Street. It was a place to meet up with friends, talk and watch the ocean. Then the lime was moved and mangroves were planted. The seawall was still there, but things had changed. Now, with King Charles III expected to visit Guyana on October 29 and 30 to witness, among other things, the country’s conservation work, including its mangroves, it is worth looking at why these plants are so important to us.
Mangroves might not be something we think much about when we pass them, but they do a lot of work along our coast. They are trees and shrubs that grow where fresh water and saltwater mix. Their roots help hold the soil together, slow down waves and reduce the amount of land lost to erosion.
This matters in Guyana. Much of our population lives along the coast, and we know how important it is to protect our homes and communities from the Atlantic Ocean. We spend money building and maintaining sea defences, but mangroves can also help protect the shores. They cannot replace our seawall defence system, but they can work alongside them. Mangroves are also home to fish, crabs, birds and other wildlife. Young fish use their roots as shelter, while crabs and other small animals find food among them. Mangroves also take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store carbon in their trees, roots and the soil beneath them.
Guyana has been working to restore its mangrove forests for years. According to Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy, by June 2026, our mangrove coverage reached 21,377 hectares, an increase of 324 hectares since the end of 2025. This growth is encouraging, as work continues to ensure the right conditions are there for the mangroves to survive.
Protecting mangroves therefore means people and the environment have to work together. Clearing mangroves, dumping garbage and disturbing the land can damage these habitats because once they are lost, restoring them takes time and effort. The seawall still remains part of everyday life in Guyana. People go there to lime, exercise, meet friends and enjoy the views. Protecting the mangroves means we need to find ways to care for them while keeping our coastline accessible to the public.
King Charles’s visit will bring attention to Guyana’s mangroves, and I encourage us all to understand their value. They help protect the coast, provide homes for wildlife and support the environment we depend on. We may remember Sheriff Street for the lime, but the mangroves growing along our coast have their own story to tell. They are doing a job that many of us might not notice, but one that matters to Guyana. As we continue to develop, we need to make sure we give them the space and protection they need as part of Guyana’s protection.
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