Gully board: Bees’ Nicholls pledges eco-tourism revival for St Thomas 

Barbados Labour Party (BLP) candidate for St Thomas Gregory Nicholls has unveiled plans to transform the parish’s vast network of gullies into a major eco-tourism and recreational attraction, promising jobs, business opportunities and a boost to rural development.

At a political meeting in Welchman Hall on Wednesday night, Nicolls said the initiative would include several miles of biking and walking paths, along with the restoration and beautification of the natural environment.

“We need to recreate the Heart of Barbados programme in St Thomas,” Nicolls told the audience. “I’ve spoken about developing an attraction called Gullies, where we can put bike and cycling tracks and create employment for young men and women to beautify these gullies that our grandparents walked through.”

He recalled that the gullies once played a central role in daily life in the parish.

“My grandmother used to walk from Christie Village to Proute through the gullies. Our uncles played cricket in the gully, but we have allowed that vital part of our ecosystem to grow into bush.”

Nicholls said restoring the gullies would also allow indigenous plants and fruit trees to flourish, creating a scenic experience for residents and visitors.

“This creates the opportunity for bougainvillea, ginger lilies, fruit trees, guava, gooseberry and cherries, for people to walk through our gully system into a beautiful site,” he said.

He added that his vision includes developing at least 25 kilometres of gully tracks within St Thomas, positioning the parish as a must-visit destination.

“I want to create at least 25 kilometres of gully tracks so that when you get off a plane at Grantley Adams, you say: ‘I need to go to the gullies’. I want people to be able to cycle through a 25-kilometre gully network in St Thomas – that is a beautiful sight.”

He also noted that the project would involve village shopkeepers, who would be able to rent bikes to visitors using the gully network, creating additional business opportunities within the parish.