On 19 and 20 June 1999, the Government of Barbados, staff and family of the then ESPU, residents, a committed team of volunteers, members of the AXYS Consulting Team and attraction owners/managers of – Harrison’s Cave, Welchman Hall Gully, Jack-in-the-Box Gully, the Flower Forest, Highland Outdoor Tours, Abyssinian Sustainability Project, and Springvale Eco-tours and Heritage Museum – hosted the inaugural two-day weekend activities to highlight the central uplands of Barbados. The focus was on heritage (natural, cultural and built) of the Harrison’s Cave Communities, and natured-based tourism. The two-day activities take place in a protected area called the Zone of Special Environmental Control (ZSEC), instituted mainly to protect the system of gullies and caves that are conduits for the underground aquifers for our potable water.
Over the intervening years, it was recognized that the ‘INTA’ acronym conveyed “ a sense of placelessness” of the principles underpinning the demonstration project. The Natural Heritage Department (NHD), (formerly the Environmental Special Projects Unit (ESPU), forged ahead with the development of a ‘brand’ and an “image”. The INTA or “de ting” in St. Thomas was duly rebranded and registered as de Heart uh Barbados®.