eeunit bulletin november december 2010
TRANSCRIPT
DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY NOV/DEC 2010 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION UNIT BULLETIN
What’s been going on ?
Phone: 468-5648/5 E-mail your suggestions/ ideas to:
By: Nicole La Force
Boy, where do I begin. Some say Tomas was an act of God. Others, Sa-tan’s fault and still others our fault; with all “d at” crime. All I know, we all suf-fered in one way or another but God’s honest truth I am one of the fortunate ones. I’m alive aren’t I? There are those who lost their lives including one of our own, Theodore “Lester” Jn. Baptiste along with his son and son’s mom. Still, others lost all their property. Such tragedy, it makes one feel helpless. Our be-loved Helen has be scarred with landslides all about, like gaping wounds in her majestic hills and mountains. Let’s zoom in on the damage to our forest resource, at least on those we can quantify for the moment. It’s estimated that it’s over EC$5 million. Approxi-mately 460 ha of timber was lost with an estimated value of EC $ 46,000 and that’s not even taking into account forested areas on private lands. The department’s christmas tree plantations from which revenue is generated annually was also badly hit. The devastation at the Fond D’or plantation was almost complete and the overall estimated loss is that of EC $76,000. All seven (7) of our rainforest trails were affected. It was disheartening to see some of our newly refurbished trails had been shredded by the winds and rains of Tomas. Rivers made new paths leaving in their wake tons of debris and com-pletely destroyed infrastructure. The habitat of many of our wildlife species have been negatively affected. The ecological impact can’t even be fathomed at this point. We are hoping for the best and forging ahead. Funding is necessary for work to carry on and what man can’t take care of we hope that nature and time will. Thus far €150,000 has been received from ACTP (Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots ). Let’s hope that the funds keep coming in. May we continue working together with perseverance, wisdom and
vision to rehabilitate as best as we can our forest resource.
What has Tomas done to us?
DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY NOV/DEC 2010 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION UNIT BULLETIN
What’s been going on ?
Phone: 468-5648/5 E-mail your suggestions/ ideas to:
By: Nicole La Force
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Translocation of Zando, St. Lucia’s Whiptail !!!
A male and female whiptail be-ing released on Rat Island.
DNA of whiptail being collected.
Weight of whiptail lizard being taken.
On the 20th and 21st of December ten (10) pairs (male and female) of adult
whiptail lizards (Cnemidophorus vanzoi) were safely translocated from Maria
Major in the south to Rat Islet in the north. Mary and Stephen of the Forestry
Wildlife Unit along with Matt and Durrell's volunteers Barbara, Benji, Mike,
Nate, Nick and Twyla participated in this venture.
This translocation was deemed necessary because the severe drought earlier
this year adversely affected the already vulnerable whiptail population which
exist on Rat Islet. This however, is an opportune time for their translocation
as the vegetation is lush and the presence of insects is abundant.
DNA samples of all the transloctated lizards were taken and it is hoped that
they will thrive and multiply. Monthly monitoring will be done and further
DNA samples will be collected especially of juveniles, to determine if there’s
been any hybridization between Maria Major and Maria Minor whiptails. It is
hoped that during the rainy season of 2011, individuals from Maria Minor will
be translocated to Rat Islet, dependant on the breeding success of those pre-
sent on the islet.
As it currently stands, the whiptail population on Maria Minor is extremely
vulnerable with an estimated 30 individuals making up the global population.
It is absolutely necessary that the protection of this our endemic specie be
continued and that their population increase on the
offshore islands be encouraged. ��Let’s�continue�to�support�the�conservation�
of�our�beautiful�Zando�
DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY NOV/DEC 2010 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION UNIT BULLETIN
What’s been going on ?
Phone: 468-5648/5 E-mail your suggestions/ ideas to:
By: Nicole La Force
May wisdom guide our actions May our motives stem from love May we unite to achieve great things
And always give praise to the one above
May we moment by moment Be more of who God wants us to be Let’s shine a light in the darkness
So more men maybe free
Nicole La Force