Red Mangrove at East End Pond 
Black-necked stilt 
white-cheeked pintail ducklings 
Volunteers and Staff of the Anguilla National Trust 
Red Mangrove Seedlings
On the backdrop of black-necked stilts, killdeers, least terns, willets flying overhead and white-cheeked pintail ducklings waddling along the pond reeds, the East End Pond is an area of luxuriant wildlife and one of the best ponds in Anguilla for bird watching. On May 23, staff of the Anguilla National Trust, along with volunteers, hiked around the pond and planted over seventy red mangrove seedlings which are intended to have a major impact on flooding in the area.
Back in the 1980’s, a section of the pond was filled with marl and garbage and thus in recent times the nearby community has been concerned that the filling has been contributing to flooding in the area. Therefore, in May 2019, the Anguilla National Trust had a hydrologist come to the island to conduct a proper assessment of how much of an impact that fill is having. According to Farah Mukhida, Executive Director of the Trust, “What we found was that it [infill] actually isn’t having that much of an impact. However, what’s creating the issue [flooding] is that sediment is filling up sink holes within the pond, thus limiting the water from draining when there is a heavy downpour, over a short amount of time.” She continued: “While there are options to deal with that, they are quite expensive and a lot of it is building canals…given the pond’s location and building canals isn’t cost effective. So in looking at other options, one is trying to reduce the amount of sediment that is now entering into the pond. By planting trees we are creating a bit of a barrier, so that the tree roots will stop some of that sediment from going into the pond and collecting more within the sinkholes.”
While the mangroves help in reducing the amount of sediment into the pond, at the same time they also create more habitat for ecotourism.
In 2018, the Anguilla National Trust applied for funding through a UK funding mechanism Darwin Plus, and focussed on restoring and safeguarding wetlands, primarily in the East End Pond and Road Salt Pond. The project is in collaboration with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (a UK based organization).
Additionally, having lost their gazebos at the East End Pond after Hurricane Irma, the Trust plans on erecting a new gazebo at the conversation area later this year. In addition, the Trust will continue to do more planting of different types of trees around the pond in addition to the mangroves. Furthermore, it will continue to educate the community on the importance of wetlands and the appreciation of nature.
