Collier, N.

In July 2017, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) Foundation initiated a project to restore coastal and terrestrial biodiversity by planting native tree species at three ecologically degraded sites on St. Maarten while simultaneously increasing community involvement and appreciation for conservation. 

St. Maarten is the most densely populated island in the Caribbean. The massive loss of biodiversity initiated upon human contact has accelerated in recent decades with the development of the tourist industry, upon which most of the economy depends, yet no terrestrial legally protected areas exist on the island. 

Three sites served as the focal point for restoration actions: 1) Little Key, 2) Sentry Hill, and 3) Cay Bay. Each offers a different habitat type: coastal mangrove wetland, montane dry forest, and coastal terrestrial scrub respectively.

The aim of restoring Little Key was to increase Red Mangrove coverage, thus increase habitat and nursery grounds for native species and to increase the provisioning of ecosystem services such as water filtration and carbon sequestration. In the past, mangrove restoration at Little Key was hindered by wave disturbances. Therefore, it was decided to use the Riley Encased Methodology (REM) which uses full-length PVC tube encasements to reduce wave action and create an environment favorable to the seedlings’ initial stages of development while protecting the plant long enough to become established. Similarly, the goal at terrestrial sites was to remove non-native plant species and establish a secondary forest comprised of a higher diversity of native species. 

Since many mature trees at the restoration sites were lost due to Hurricane Irma in September 2017, the goal was not to increase the number of trees on site over the year-long project but instead to increase the diversity of native species of tall canopy trees and to ensure high survival rates. 

The hurricane caused an average two-month delay in the timeline of activities. EPIC’s headquarters lost its roof and suffered major damage to equipment and furniture, complicating operations. In addition, nearly all mangrove propagules were blown or washed away so they could not be grown locally and instead were ordered from Florida. Likewise, many local nurseries lost their terrestrial plant stock to the storm and could not source plants until commercial shipping resumed. During this period, the focus was on preparing the terrestrial sites for planting by removing invasive species.

In November a team of volunteers, with boat support from the Nature Foundation of St. Maarten, planted 290 Red Mangrove propagules at Little Key.In January, a landscaping crew and volunteers planted approximately 309 plants at Sentry Hill and 125 at the Cay Bay over three days. 

Delays in establishing irrigation systems required significantly more hours of staff time in watering the plants three times per week until April. In addition, goats foraged on a number of plants that escaped through damaged fencing at Cay Bay; all but 13 recovered from the foraging.

Student scientists from the nearby St. Dominic High School were recruited to monitor the individually tagged plants at Sentry Hill once a week for eight weeks while EPIC staff monitored the Cay Bay plants. The mangroves planted at Little Key were monitored every two weeks by volunteers with a boat donated by St. Maarten Sails.

Plant species diversity increased from pre-restoration to post-restoration by 25 to 35 different species at Cay Bay and 41 to 52 different species at Sentry Hill. The post-restoration survival rates were found to be up to 96.1% at Sentry Hill, 89.6% at Cay Bay and 84.5% at Little Key. These results point to an increased biodiversity at the restoration sites when compared with pre-restoration assessments and, as the new plants mature into large trees, an increased carbon sequestration capacity. 

To ensure long-term management of the restoration sites, a formal Transfer Agreement was created and signed by the site owners/managers in May 2018. The Transfer Agreement includes a guide of Best Practices and lessons learned during restoration to ensure successful management of the sites over the long-term

The outreach component of the project reached approximately 1,253 participants who took part in volunteer opportunities, educational presentations, and field trips. Stickers and reusable water bottles with the tag line “plant a tree, grow a forest” were shared with participants. Survey response forms confirm that teachers found the presentations and field trips to be informative, engaging, and beneficial.

A volunteer WhatsApp group created for this project was also active and used to inform volunteers of upcoming events. The group was very motivated and popular with recurring volunteers who contributed 435 days of volunteer time.

A campaign in support of the establishment of terrestrial protected areas was also started and some 507 people signed the online petitionand 84 people signed the in-person signature sheet. The advocacy campaign may have been limited by the focus of residents and businesses on rebuilding. A letter writing campaign resulted in one letter of support. 

A videosummarizing the restoration project was produced and received 1,800 views by the end of project implementation. 

Local organizations and government representatives visited the restoration sites, offering an opportunity to share lessons learned and the value of habitat restoration. An open house was held at the end of the project to welcome the community to walk the nature trail established at the Sentry Hill restoration site. Signs along the pathway provide information about biodiversity and the restoration work. 

Despite significant challenges caused by Hurricane Irma, the project met its objectives thanks to the dedication and hard work of staff and volunteers. This work has resulted in increased biodiversity and potential carbon sequestration at the restoration sites but has also built local capacity and support for future restoration projects while strengthening community through service projects. Seedlings can also be seen as symbols of hope and the promise they hold for a better future was much needed during recovery from Irma’s devastation.

For further information on this project, please check the Post-Restoration Assessments and Best Practices Reportavailable at EPIC’s website.

This project was made possible through the contribution of the BEST 2.0 Programme funded by the European Union, Global Giving, BirdsCaribbean Hurricane Relief Fund, and donors to EPIC’s Irma Recovery Fund.

This news-tem was published by DCNA in BioNews 16-2018

Environmental Protection In the Caribbean (EPIC) carried out breeding seabird research in the Lesser Antilles between February and June 2009, to determine the abundance and distribution of breeding seabirds within the archipelago. The research spans two years, with the study continuing in January to July 2010. This allows each island to be surveyed both in the winter (February‐mid April) and summer (May‐ July) breeding seasons.

The basis for the project was the limited existing data on breeding seabird populations in the Lesser Antilles. Many islands had never been systematically surveyed, had incomplete data sets or only anecdotal accounts. Research was, therefore, undertaken in the following islands: St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and the Grenadines. It is intended that breeding surveys will be completed in Sombrero, north of Anguilla in 2010 (they were not undertaken this year due to inclement weather). Similarly, it is planned that Dominica will be included in 2010. It was not surveyed in 2009 due to the perception that data was extant, which was later confirmed incorrect. Anguilla, St. Barthelemy, Guadeloupe, Marie‐Galante, Martinique and Barbados have complete seabird data and were not surveyed by the team. Existing data from these latter islands will be incorporated into the Atlas.

The research will form the Seabird Breeding Atlas of the Lesser Antilles. A hard copy will be given to all participating countries in the study area, generally to the government. The data will inform the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB) Waterbird Conservation Plan and will be available to the public on the web at the West Indies GIS and OBIS/SEAMAP. The study involved an ongoing literature review of breeding seabird records within existing papers, books and articles, as well as gathering information held in libraries and bird group archives. Anecdotal information from fishermen and other interest groups was also noted. This was particularly interesting in the case of the nocturnal Audubon’s Shearwater, when locations were suggested for historic colonies that were otherwise hard to locate within the time frame of the study. Information on egg poaching and other threats to seabirds was also forthcoming as well as anecdotal trends in seabird numbers.

The field work included collecting data on the number of breeding seabirds and threats to their populations on every island within the study area. Consistent methods were used and documented to allow repeat surveys in the future.

Outreach included presentations and meetings with governments and interest groups, education at schools, and media campaigns. A permit to undertake the non‐obtrusive research was obtained in every participating country. Katharine Lowrie (Project Manager), David Lowrie (Captain and Surveyor) and Megan Friesen (Research Assistant) undertook the research.

St Maarten’s IBAs—the country’s international site priorities for bird conservation—cover 815 ha (including marine areas), and about c.36% of the country’s land area. Of the five IBAs, Pelikan Rock (AN005) is protected within the St Maarten Marine Park, and Fort Amsterdam (AN004) is protected as a historical site. The IBAs have been identified on the basis of eight key bird species (listed in Table 1) that variously trigger the IBA criteria. They are centred on wetland and marine sites being primarily significant for their populations four congregatory waterbird and seabird species (including the Near Threatened Caribbean Coot Fulica caribeae. However, shrublands in three IBAs support populations of the four restricted-range species known to occur in the country. With further targeted field research, three additional restrictedrange birds that occur in the montane forest across the border in St Martin would be expected to be found in the semievergreen forest remnants on the St Maarten side. Such a discovery could warrant the identification of an additional IBA for these forest dependent species.

The wetland IBAs of Little Bay Pond, Fresh Pond and Great Salt Pond all face similar, multiple threats such as land reclamation for development, inappropriate development, use for landfill, pollution and contamination from runoff and sewage, inappropriate water management (e.g. maintaining water levels by pumping in sea water), alien invasive predators and disturbance. The Nature Foundation of St Maarten and Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) have variously planted mangroves, constructed bird observation towers and installed educational signage at Little Bay Pond and Fresh Pond IBAs, but it is clear that enforced legislation is critical if the biological integrity of these wetlands is to be maintained in the long term.

The protection afforded Fort Amsterdam (Historical Site) and Pelikan Rock (Marine Park) IBAs appears to be preventing site-based threats although factors outside of these areas are having negative impacts such as disturbance to the mainland pelican nesting colony from jet skis, dive boats, and parasail boats. Over-fishing, oil spills, and plastics entanglement are constant threats to the marine-based seabirds and waterbirds. The regular monitoring of the waterbirds at St Maarten’s IBAs (e.g. as has been undertaken by EPIC) and the monitoring of the other key bird species should be used to inform the assessment of state, pressure and response variables at each IBA in order to provide objective status assessments and inform management decisions (should the necessary legislation be enacted) that might be required to maintain these internationally important biodiversity sites.

Retrieved from Birdlife International

The Saba coastline IBA (AN006)—the island’s site priority for bird conservation—has been identified on the basis of nine key bird species (listed in Table 1) that variously trigger the IBA criteria. The IBA covers 2,000 ha of critical terrestrial and marine habitats that support the entire island’s population of breeding seabirds, and also the full complement of the restricted-range birds that still occur on the island. The lack of any legal protection for terrestrial areas is a concern that must be addressed to facilitate pro-active conservation of Saba’s terrestrial biodiversity (including breeding seabirds).

At present, it seems that the globally significant populations of Audubon’s Shearwater P. lherminieri, Redbilled Tropicbird P. aethereus and the restricted-range Bridled Quail-dove G. mystacea in the IBA are declining (or are at least limited) as a result of predation from cats and rats (exacerbated by trampling and grazing from goats). Saba is small enough that complete eradication of some invasive species may be feasible, given sufficient funding, time and local support. In anticipation of both formal protection of terrestrial habitats within the IBA, and a possible eradication program, there is an urgent need to determine the population of P. lherminieri and G. mystacea, and to continue monitoring the population of P. aethereus. Monitoring these populations within the IBA should be used to inform the assessment of state, pressure and response variables at each IBA in order to provide objective status assessments and inform management decisions (such as the necessity for invasive species control) that might be required to maintain this internationally important biodiversity site.

Retrieved from Birdlife International

Statia’s two IBAs—the island’s international priority sites for bird conservation—cover 41% of the island’s land area. Both IBAs are formally designated as protected areas—the terrestrial components are covered within the Quill–Boven National Park, and the marine component within the St Eustatius Marine Park. The IBAs have been identified on the basis of nine species that variously trigger the IBA criteria for restricted-range birds and congregatory birds. The Quill IBA (AN008) embraces the island’s forest-dependent species (the restricted-range species), while Boven IBA (AN007) supports nesting habitat for P. aethereus.

Resolving the land dispute within Boven IBA appears to be critical to enabling effective management of grazing and thus the successful recovery of vegetation within the park. It would also facilitate the potential control of goats, cats and rats that almost certainly represent limiting factors for the breeding population of P. aethereus. Enforcement of an animal registry program within the Quill IBA should decrease the incidence of grazing in the park, but both goats and chickens are often present around and within the volcano and presumably impact the native fauna. Surveys to assess the population of each of the IBA trigger species should be a priority. Such surveys should be combined with annual monitoring of state, pressure and response variables at each IBA to provide an objective status assessment and highlight management interventions that might be required to maintain these internationally important biodiversity sites.

Retrieved from Birdlife International