The historical and present-day interactions between people and the natural environment on the relatively undeveloped Caribbean island of Barbuda are being investigated to develop a framework to enhance future sustainability and resilience through local self-sufficiency. As a semi-enclosed island system, Barbuda provides an excellent venue to examine topics of sustainability, resilience, vulnerability, and the adaptability of people. Our collaboration includes natural and social scientists (anthropology, archaeology, geosciences, geography, and education) and local experts. Anthropology plays a pivotal role in integrating the knowledge and research techniques of Western Modern Science (WMS) with traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and local ecological knowledge (LEK).