Martin Keeley

Executive Director

Martin has been a “Wetlander” since the late 1980s, when he founded and ran a wetlands education and conservation organization in British Columbia and Northern Washington State to protect freshwater wetlands and estuaries.

On moving to the Brac full-time in 1998 (he built his home there in 1980), he morphed into a “Mangrove Man,” adapting his temperate wetlands programs for use in tropical climes—a.k.a. mangroves. At the same time, he became Education Director for the small international NGO the Mangrove Action Project—a position he still holds. He obtained his primary school teaching certification and Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in 2004 at Atlantic Union College.

Marvellous Mangroves has now been adapted and translated for use in 16 countries in eight languages.

Martin’s Marvellous Mangroves hands-on science, curriculum-based teaching guide has been part of the Cayman primary school Year 5 curriculum—sponsored by CUC—since 2001.It is still being taught in Cayman schools. Marvellous Mangroves has now been adapted and translated for use in 16 countries in eight languages. Martin has always loved the silent beauty and wondrous smells of mangroves and believes it’s time to conserve mangroves that have not been destroyed in Cayman—hence his co-founding the Mangrove Rangers.

---

Chris Luijten

MEP Associate Director

Chris Luijten, a resident of the Cayman Islands, became involved with mangrove conservation efforts in 2019. Triggered by the curiosity of his youngest daughter in a mangrove propagule that had washed up ashore, Chris started investigating this mysterious plant species by collecting information from the internet.

Soon, he discovered about the different varieties of mangroves and their respective benefits to the environment such as carbon sequestration and shoreline protection. At the same time, it also became clear for Chris how mangroves are at odds with short-term economic interests of industries such as real estate development, shrimp farming and charcoal production. Looking around in the Cayman Islands and seeing destruction happening everywhere, Chris felt he had to do something to share his newly gained insights and place a spotlight on the threats that the mangroves are experiencing.

Looking around in the Cayman Islands and seeing destruction happening everywhere, Chris felt he had to do something to share his newly gained insights and place a spotlight on the threats that the mangroves are experiencing.

In 2020 working closely with key stakeholders in the media, government and various grassroots movements, Chris was able to bring about a movement that helped accelerate the implementation of new legislation to protect mangroves. Furthermore, an idea of Mangrove Rangers that Chris shared with his friend Martin Keeley was turned into reality when the Mangrove Rangers program was launched by Martin in July 2020. The program has been widely covered in local and international media and generated a lot of attention for the mangroves by delivering workshops, creating educational content and engaging the community.

Aside from mangrove conservation work Chris is an Entrepeneur in the b2b SaaS technology vertical through various companies on which he serves as Investor and Board Member. Chris is also the CEO of ITCA, a company that helps software companies with fighting against software piracy.

Chris and his wife Karen are both very passionate about the environment, supporting a variety of causes such as the Virunga National Park in Congo, Skyscanner, and the Sea Shepherd.