Environmental scientists visit Les Cayes

Dr. Donald Huggins working at a stream.

The Audubon Center of Les Cayes announces the visit of three environmental scientists who will present a water quality workshop to officials in the Southern Department of Haiti during the first week of May.  Dr. Donald Huggins, Dr. Gary Welker, and Prof. Debbie Baker are aquatic ecologists with the University of Kansas and Kansas Biological Survey, USA.  They will present a day-long workshop about the importance of watersheds to the health of the environment and the people, as well as train participants in evaluating water quality of Haiti's lakes and rivers.

In addition, Friday May 3 at 4pm at the Botanical Garden of Les Cayes, Dr. Huggins will give a public presentation about the importance of watersheds.  Everyone is invited! 

Prof. Baker and Dr. Welker on a Kansas lake.

Dr. Huggins and Prof. Baker will also hold a 3-day workshop on these issues for students of the American University of the Caribbean.

Thanks to the University of Kansas for contributing to travel funding for this trip!

March Water Quality and Ecology Workshop

Congratulations to the 17 American University of the Caribbean students who completed the recent Water Quality and Ecology Workshop taught by Chris Bowser of Marist College and the National Estuarine Research Reserve in New York, USA.

Along with children from the nearby HELO orphanage and a Marist College team, the AUC class monitored the stream at the Botanical Garden of Les Cayes, and went to Bamboola Beach to study the estuary and coastal zone.  Some of the AUC students proved to be excellent fishermen!  AUC students became the teachers, each showing small groups of young kids from the HELO school the beauty of local wildlife and conservation messages.