Nonsuch Island, the home of the near-extinct cahow, has just received a $500,000 cash injection from the Ascendant Group of companies.

Ascendant announced they would be working with Government over the next ten years to provide resources, including a workforce to remove invasive plants and replace with native and endemic species on the nature reserve.

The group of companies, which include Bermuda Electric Light Company Limited, Bermuda Gas & Utility Company Limited, PureNERGY Renewables Ltd and BELCO Properties Limited, will also offer financial support.

President and CEO Vincent Ingham said: "We at Ascendant are pleased to be partners in this historic Nonsuch Island project.

"As one of Bermuda's oldest companies, we are committed to environmental stewardship, conducting business in a manner that is respectful of the natural environment, fostering environmental awareness among our staff and supporting organisations and initiatives that protect and enhance the quality of the environment for both present and future generations of Bermudians."

According to Minister of the Environment Glenn Blakeney, these public-private sponsorships help get more done.

The Minister said yesterday: "Long term collaboration between our Government and the Island's grass roots and corporate citizens is essential to the health and well-being of our community, especially the health of our unique island environment.

He continued: "As it has been said before Government cannot do it all, we need businesses, community groups, Non Governmental Organisations and the general public to act as stewards of our environment. Working together in partnership we can certainly achieve more than we would if we tried alone."

Nonsuch Island is most well known as home to the cahow population. The Island now has nearly 100 nesting pairs and more than 50 cahow chicks — up from 17 pairs nearly half a century ago.

Jeremy Madeiros, Terrestrial Conservation Officer, said: "It is a long-term commitment because literally we are clawing this species back from the precipice of extinction.

"Our goal is to ultimately get it out of the critically endangered list and on to the threatened list. We have to get it up to 1000 pairs, so we still have work to do."

"It's a project for the ages. It's something that future generations can go to and see Bermuda as it was described by the early settlers. That is my hope and we are all working together to get that."