Who are the "protectors" I've heard mentioned?

[Carey]

Depends on whom you are asking... There are many groups that are active in land preservation, cleanups, native planting & research to know what & how to do it....

Outdoor Circle does many positive things around the islands, including organizing cleanups, plantings, plant sale & such, but I would doubt many would dub them "the protectors"

& most likely the references you are mentioning may be utilizing that term more facetiously than you might be aware of...