Return to the mangroves in St. Michel/Camp Louise

In March 2022 I returned to Université Chrétienne du Nord d'Haïti (UCNH) in northern Haiti to reconnect and teach a short biology course. I also visited the mangroves that I surveyed in March 2020 under a small BirdsCaribbean grant. This time, Elio took me to the shore side of the mangroves. We walked the mile-long stretch which was a narrow (<1m) strip of sandy shore covered in plastic trash for almost the entire length. Two of the 3 paths that we followed into the mangroves led to areas cleared for charcoal. We heard several yellow warblers in the mangrove, and saw one sandpiper along the shore, along with washed up pieces of coral and sponges. In the mainland side of the mangrove, we saw glossy ibis, greater yellowlegs, and black-necked stilts.

Sponge

Cleared for charcoal

Spotted sandpiper

 

Trash on the beach.

Black-necked stilt, glossy ibis, greater yellowlegs in front.

BirdsCaribbean grant - Environmental education in Camp Louise

Using BirdsCaribbean bird silhouette poster.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Debbie had to leave Haiti in March 2020 and was not able to return as of May 2021. Elio and Wilnise of UCNH continued the activities for this project by leading environmental education workshops for children and their parents of the Institut Rehoboth de Belle Hotesse school which is near the previously monitored mangroves. Snacks were provided! Thank you BirdsCaribbean for funds to do this important outreach. 

 April 28 2021, 8 – 10a Children’s workshop 

Audience: 96 students, 5 teachers, 1 director. (With assistant Wyd)

Theme: Protect birds, mangroves, and the environment. 

Topics: • The importance of birds - How birds make us have plenty of food. Distribute handouts of birds pictures and names. • Protection of birds - Do not litter, do not break their nests, do not kill birds, plant trees, do not use slingshots. 

The parents.

May 12 2021, 12:30 – 2:30p Parent’s workshop. 

Audience: 40 parents, 5 teachers, 1 director. (With assistant Gideon) 

Theme: Protect the mangroves through protecting the environment. 

Topics: • The importance of mangroves. • The importance of birds and how this can lead to better jobs. • Exhort children for killing birds. • Do not cut trees. • Do not litter. 

Elio says: Mwen kwè fòmasyon sa dwe gen swit. Kèk aksyon pou ede timoun ak granmoun yo rebwaze zòn nan. Granmoun yo pare pou kolabore nan jan yo kapab. Mwen te kontan anpil travay nan pwojè sa. Ekip la solid e pare pou kontinye patisipe nan bon chanjman kap fasilite byenèt tout moun ak tout zwazo yo!!!!! 

(I believe this training must follow. Some actions to help children and adults reforest the area. Adults are ready to collaborate as best they can. I was very happy working on this project. The team is strong and ready to continue participating in good changes that facilitate the well-being of everyone and all the birds !!!!!)

 

Camp Louise mangroves – Trips 1 & 2

Site 2 - Main monitoring site

In early 2019 Wilnise and I went with our birding group (Mike, etc.) to do a survey along the road that goes to the Camp Louise beach (edit: Actually the stretch of mangroves between St. Michel and Camp Louise). We stopped at the mangroves and surveyed from the road. Wilnise and I returned a month later and the fields and mangroves were dry – we were able to walk pretty far into the mangroves and saw warblers. I was awarded funding from BirdsCaribbean to continue monitoring this area, train other birders, and have a bird workshop for the children in the area. These are my notes for this work. Bird lists are uploaded to eBird.

19 Feb. 2020 Mini-foray at mangrove next to beach

I did a stationary survey by myself after a swim at the beach. Very small patch of trees, No remarkable birds, cattle and snowy egrets in wet area next to it. Brown pelican flew by on beach.

7 Mar. 2020 First trip to train others

Two trusted motorcycle drivers took Wilnise and me to the mangroves to commence monitoring this year. Our first stop along irrigation canals became muddy so we weren’t able to get in a great spot, but did see both yellowlegs species and some black-necked stilts and killdeer. We moved to a new location that will be our long-term monitoring spot for this mangrove. Rice fields run along it and they are full of water now (previous week had rain almost the entire week).

We then went to the small mangrove that I previously surveyed next to the beach, and saw a green heron perched on top of a bush. Then walked north along the beach to a rocky tip. A remnant mangrove runs along the beach, we recorded the clear song of a yellow warbler. We saw 2 spotted sandpipers bobbing their tails along the ocean shore. In the back area of the mangrove where trees were cut so now it’s only a mudflat, we saw 2 Wilson’s plovers chasing little crabs. The motorcycle drivers Wid and Carlo took to spotting the birds, and I think are candidates for training to be guides. Wilnise asked the men in the snack shacks along the beach who to contact for arranging a kids bird camp.

Lesser and greater yellowlegs

The team at site 2 - main site

 

Site 3 - the little mangrove right at the beach

Site 4 - destroyed mangrove on left (remnant on right off of photo)

Spotted sandpiper at site 4

Wilson's plover at site 4 - in the mudflat that once was a mangrove