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Day One – Thursday December 4th This morning meetings were held with the following – 1. Ms. Laverne Phillip, Executive Director, St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Trust. 2.Ms. Ronette Jordon and Mr. Trelson Mapp, Project officer and Economist, respectively, Central Planning Unit 3. Kris Isaacs, Fisheries Officer, Fisheries Division.
Though all parties claimed not to have had prior knowledge of the visit, or of the project that was being contemplated, all were very courteous in meeting with me, answering my questions and making suggestions for other persons with whom I should meet. As part of the meetings I showed excerpts of the presentation I had prepared, and they were all very enthusiastic about the restoration successes that had been achieved in Grenada between 2007 and 2014, on a number of project sites. Everyone agreed that the project would be beneficial to the country, and expressed interest in being involved in future activities. Ms. Phillip felt sure that the National Trust would want to sit on the Project Advisory Committee, or any such structure that would be set up to guide implementation of the project. The government officers also felt that their departments/divisions would be willing to provide guidance as well, and suggestions were made as to whom correspondence should be addressed to concerning those matters. Following these meetings, we made our first field trip, stopping at the villages of Rawacou, San Souci, Black Point and Byera, along the Windward side of the island. We were accompanied by Mr. Sternley Walker of the Beaches, Rivers and Parks Authority, who was a very able and knowledgeable guide, as he had been involved in transplanting seedlings at these sites. At the Rawacou site, some forty (40) white mangrove seedlings had been planted between August and October 2014, with one dozen of them being replaced in October. Most of the seedlings showed encouraging signs of growth. Suggestions were made as to how the struggling ones can be better cared for and protected.
Figure 1: White mangrove plants at Rawacou.
At San Souci one dozen white and button mangroves had been planted in October. Most of them were still alive, though the conditions were quite challenging, and it is very unlikely that any of these plants will survive. This is because of a number of factors, among them the type of soil in which the seedlings were planted, and the elevation of the plants away from the sea. White mangroves grow best in inter-tidal, brackish waters that have appropriate nutrient levels and other contents vital for the survival and growth of the plants. Figure 2 (below): Plants and bayside view at San Souci
The white mangrove seedlings planted at Black Point are doing extremely well. Some of the plants measure as much as 27-29 inches in height, which is very impressive given that they had been planted between July and October.
The red seeds did not do as well, mostly as a result of how they were collected and planted. Proper pre-rooting did not take place, neither were the seeds planed in areas that allowed for seawater interaction. Our last stop of the day was the community of Byera, where a community consultation had been scheduled. No plants had yet been put in at this site. Before the consultation we walked along the beachfront to get an appreciation of the lay of the land, and to look at possibilities for introducing mangroves and other plants to the area. The consultation was attended by twelve (12) persons, representing the communities of Byera, Colonarie and Mt. Bentick. After brief remarks from Lion Michael John, President of the Lions Club South, and Mr. Walker, I walked through a presentation on the importance of mangroves, the different types, benefits of mangroves and threats to them. The presentation also included a section on restoration successes in Grenada, showing a variety of before and after photos of sites where Grenada Fund for Conservation and community partners have undertaken restoration efforts; as well as a brief overview of livelihood opportunities associated with healthy mangrove ecosystems.
Following the presentation there was an open discussion, with residents asking questions and making suggestions. By the end of the consultation most of the residents had agreed that they would like to see such a project in the community, and offered to be involved in the different project activities.
Day Two â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Friday December 5th Today meetings were held with Mr. Andrew Lockhart, Superintendent of Marine and Terrestrial Parks at the National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority, and Mr. Fitzgerald Providence, Director of Forestry. I met first with Mr. Lockhart, who kindly offered to take me to the Botanical Gardens to see the potted red mangrove and buttonwood seedlings being propagated for future transplantation, and later to the Forestry Department to meet with Mr. Providence. On behalf of their departments, both officers expressed their endorsement of, and commitment to, the planned project, and expressed their willingness to provide technical advice and other support as required. They both commended the initial efforts of James Walsh, the Australian intern who started the propagation and initial planting of seedlings, as this was a first time effort
on mainland St. Vincent, which their respective departments wanted to see expanded and continued. Both gentlemen provided the names of other persons they believed could be good sources of information about the history and location of mangroves in St. Vincent, as well as others they felt could provide valuable information in support of the project. At the Botanical Gardens there are currently about 90 seedlings, in various stages of growth.
In order to remain viable, and to have a better chance of survival when eventually transplanted, these seedlings will have to be either moved to a location where salt water can be introduced to their roots, or a new mixture will have to be made for the potting bags, which will have to include beach sand and potting soil and saw dust. Following the meeting with Mr. Providence at the Forestry Department, we then journeyed to the communities of Cumberland and Richmond, to observe red and white seedlings that had been planted at those sites between October and December. The red mangrove seedlings at Cumberland were not doing very well, though most had in fact survived the wave action and other adverse conditions of the bay. The whites were doing extremely well, some over 30 inches tall.
Above: Red and white seedlings at Cumberland. Below: Red mangrove seedlings growing at Richmond.
After the Richmond Visit we stopped at the Fitz Hughes primary school for the planned community consultation in that area. This meeting was attended by six persons, four representing the Richmond vale Academy and two representing the North Leeward Tourism Association. The presentation was very well received, and at the end there was a lively conversation about the
possible project. Both groups represented offered enthusiastic support to the project, and offered to become involved.
Day Three â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Saturday December 6th Saturday was divided into two parts, the morning being spent at the Brighton mangrove area with a group of young people from the Cadet Corps and Leo Club. This was meant to be an introduction to mangroves and hands-on training session. The session was attended by some twenty two persons, and was very interactive. The participants were very interested in the subject, and had many questions. Many expressed the strong desire to be involved in the project once it came on stream. As part of this exercise we took measurements along the beach, to determine the high tide mark, wave action and total beach length, so that recommendations could be made regarding experimental encasement plantings in the area. During the field trip we were joined by the Director of the National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority, Mr. Andrew Wilson, who also had a number of questions about the projects that had been implemented in Grenada, their levels of success, and the likelihood of success for similar projects on St. Vincent. He too expressed his support for the project to be developed.
After the field visit we went to the Lions Den for a final presentation and discussion about the project. There were many questions about the various processes to be undertaken, and the timeline. It was clear that participants were interested in becoming involved in such a project.
Recommendations Based on the feedback received in the various meetings and consultations I had, and the obvious support and enthusiasm that exists for the project, I am confident that, once the requisite seed funding is secured, a mangrove restoration project has a very good chance of success. The project cannot be overly ambitious, because of the timeline and initial funding that may be available. However, I recommend the following as a start up: 1. The main focus of the project should be the establishment on of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;fullâ&#x20AC;?, mixed species plot at Richmond. This site offers the best possibility for long term survival and success of, because of the size and currently existing features of the area; as well as the fact that the Richmond Vale Academy is located nearby, and they have offered to become involved in the establishment and monitoring of the plot. Both red and white mangroves should do well at this site, as they will benefit from the already existing mature shrubbery in the area. A number of different planting methods can be done. Both red and white seedlings can be introduced directly into the soil, as has already been done. In addition, encasement planting can also be done, using red mangrove seedlings in either bamboo or PVC tubes, closer to the waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edge. The seedlings will need to be planted in individual, species specific transects, so that comparison monitoring can be done over time. Transect sizes will have to be varied according to species and ground conditions. 2. The second focal area of the project should be the establishment of a mixed species plot at Byera. It is very likely that both red and white mangroves will do well here, again because natural features of the area. Additional shrubbery, such as almonds and sea grapes will need to be planted as well. Here too different planting methods will have to be employed, including both direct and encasement plantings. These two areas are recommended primarily because of their natural features, but also because of the presence of residents who have expressed an interest in doing the project. This is crucial, as projects of this nature must have active community involvement in order to succeed. The level of effort that will be required for the establishment of these plots, especially in the initial stages, will be intensive, and cannot be left to occasional visits of persons from outside the communities. Additionally, it has been proven throughout the region that these projects work better when they are community driven, involve local residents at every stage of the process, and employ local residents to carry out the majority of services. 3. In addition to Richmond and Byera, planting of white and button mangroves should be continued at both Black Point, Cumberland and Rawacou. The plants already in place at
these sites are doing very well and can continue to do so with ongoing care and monitoring. Since personnel from the National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority already have the expertise, and have expressed interest, in continuing to plant, this should be encouraged. This will not add significantly to the budget or the over-all implementation of the new project, and will serve to strengthen and enhance the collaboration among the various partners. 4. A full nursery will need to be set up for the propagation, care and storage of seeds before they are ready for transplanting. This is necessary for seeds of both the white and red mangroves, although the white seeds germinate much more easily and require less attention and effort than the red. This may require the building of a basic structure, if space cannot be found for this purpose when required. 5. Training in the collection, care, storage, transplanting and monitoring of seeds and seedlings will need to be provided for a group of persons who will be involved in these key activities of the project. Red mangrove seedlings will have to be source from donor sites from islands in the Grenadines that have healthy stands of this species, and possibly as far away as mainland Grenada. A basic guide for the collection, care, storage and monitoring of mangrove seedlings was provided as part of this consultancy. Grenada Fund for Conservation is prepared to provide ongoing support for numbers 4 and 5 above, both as a consultancy service and as knowledge transfer through exchange visits. 6. In preparation for the development of the full project proposal, and for the later implementation of the project, a Project Advisory Committee, or Team (PAC/PAT), should be established as soon as possible. This group should ideally have representation from relevant government departments, environmental NGOs, residents of local communities where project activities will take place and the Lions Club. It will guide the development of the proposal, establish rates of pay for various services and supplies to be used in the project, decide on timelines for activities, review implementation progress and address challenges encountered as the project unfolds.