Dear Editor,
In the Friday 5 June 2015 edition of The Anguillian, a Letter to the Editor was published regarding the East End Pond Conservation Area (EEPCA) and more specifically, the Anguilla National Trust’s (ANT) management and oversight of the area. We would be grateful if you would allow us this opportunity to respond.
Mr. Patterson Hunte wrote a thoughtful, balanced letter regarding the state of the EEPCA, the importance of Anguilla’s wetlands (and their ecosystem diversity), as well as the role of the ANT as the body vested with responsibility for managing the site.
In 2001, approximately 15 or 20 years after over an acre of the EEPCA was infilled with marl and landfill refuse, the site was vested to the ANT, and declared one of Anguilla’s very few land-based protected areas. With the placing of the fill within the pond, many of the manchineel trees that Mr. Hunte referred to had been removed, along with other vegetation which he rightly indicated provided important nesting, foraging, and breeding grounds for wetland and terrestrial bird species. For several years, the infilled area of the pond was almost completely devoid of plant life – it lay barren save for a fence that partitioned the infilled area into two and two sturdy and well-built gazebos that allowed for bird watching. With much needed and appreciated help from the East End community, the ALHCS Environmental Club, the Anguilla Garden Centre, Cuisinart Resort and Spa, and numerous other sponsors and partners, the ANT was able undertake a replanting initiative. During this first restoration initiative, we tried planting various species of plants, including buttonwood, seagrape, and white cedar. Oleander had been donated and planted but, since then, we’ve made a conscious decision to move away from ornamentals and non-native species and have had almost all of the oleander trees removed. What we also found was that the buttonwood trees were the only ones that were able to survive in the nutrient poor, salty marl and clay substrate (soil). And they have done well. In partnership with the Duke of Edinburgh programme, the ALHCS Environmental Club, and LIME, we’ve been able to plant over eighty more buttonwood on the site. While not all of them have survived, most have. The buttonwood area is now starting to spread on its own and pondweed covers much of the exposed land that is not yet colonised by trees. This ground cover on the substrate has helped to reduce sedimentation of the wetland and has acted as a buffer between the roadway and the pond. We’ve noticed Cattle egret roosting in the tall branches of the buttonwood and smaller wading birds foraging for insects in the marshy parts of the infill after heavy rain. Ducks, coots, and moorhen continue to nest within the pond as do Black-necked stilts and Killdeer. Our monthly bird monitoring programme which takes us to all of the ponds and 16 land-based sites across the island allows us to get a better idea of what is happening to Anguilla’s wetlands and wildlife species (plants and birds) and after ten years of data collection, we’re able to quantifiably measure change and make recommendations to policy- and decision-makers about development and conservation. This data is important: data lend weight to our comments as those comments are based on science rather emotion or assumptions.
As Mr. Hunte also indicated, we have asked individuals to restrain from planting trees on their own without consultation or approval of the ANT. We have found that in recent years, individuals have been planting primarily palm trees around the perimeter of the pond. While palm trees may look attractive, they add little value to a wetland in terms of cover and preventing sedimentation. We have also had to balance community concerns with our restoration efforts. We have received complaints from the community that the vegetation has been growing too densely and some individuals are concerned about their personal safety as they fear that the vegetation cover may also be providing cover to would-be thieves. We have also had road safety concerns brought to our attention by both community members and the Ministry of Infrastructure. We have consulted with the Ministry to determine how best to maintain the vegetation to allow for a pond buffer while still allowing drivers to see around the eastern bend of the pond. It was found that the palm trees, with their drooping fronds, were creating the most obstructions for drivers.
Over the last few months, we’ve been reviewing our management plan for the area and have met with the community to discuss the vision, goals, and strategies for site management. The plan addresses ecological issues, sustainable use, and its ability to be used as a platform for education. We’ve also been considering the impact of the infill and have developed a project proposal which would entail determining the extent of impact that the infill has had on the pond’s ability to catch and hold water. It also examines other factors that have increased pressure on the pond to hold more water (for example, increased development in the area and the accompanying clearing of land which increases the amount of water that will run into the pond and the sediment that may be within that runoff and deposited into it, further reducing its catchment abilities). The project would involve the completion of the feasibility study to remove the infill, considering the options of no removal, partial removal, or full removal and would also involve further restoration activities, including additional wetland tree plantings, planting of shade trees, elevated walkways and trails, and creating a seating and resting area for people visiting the site – to bird watch or to just relax. We would like the pond and its surrounding area to be used sustainably by residents of and visitors to Anguilla while still protecting it for the important biodiversity that it encompasses. The project’s budget is approximately US$70,000. Our operational budget cannot cover this cost and we are looking for external funding to implement it.
We know that we have not been as vocal about the EEPCA as we have perhaps been about our sea turtle, iguana, seabird, or offshore cay work but it does not mean that we are not working in the wetland field or that it is not part of our mandate. It absolutely is.
We truly value Mr. Hunte’s comments, thoughts, and insight about the pond, its history, and his (and the community’s) connection to it. We also appreciate his concern about its ecological health and integrity. Much of our work centres on raising awareness about the importance of Anguilla’s wildlife and wild spaces. Mr. Hunte touched on many of the critical functions of the EEPCA – and all of Anguilla’s wetlands. They are important places that must be better respected, valued, and protected. We would encourage Mr. Hunte to contact us directly should he have any further concerns or ideas on how we can better improve the management of the EEPCA or how we may be able to better influence and raise the profile of Anguilla’s wetlands. We would also encourage him and all residents of (and visitors to) Anguilla to become members of the ANT – we send out quarterly newsletters to our membership (and supporters) updating everyone on our work. We also hold an Annual General Meeting in December of each year during which we review the work that we have done over the last twelve months and would be happy to share our annual Reports.
We are a small staff operating on a very limited budget. Half of our income is generated through external funding mechanisms and we spend much of our time trying to raise much-needed money to do to the work that we do. We hope that we are making a difference, but also understand that we need the support of people like Mr. Hunte to make sure that we are actually making a positive, sustainable impact on this small but beautiful island. We take our work and responsibilities seriously – for today’s generation and for those that have yet to come.
For anyone interested in learning more about our work or opportunities to be engaged in it, please stop by our office which is located in The Valley next to the Dental Clinic, send us an email at antadmin@anguillanet.com, or call us at 497 5297.
Many thanks for giving us this forum.
Farah Mukhida (Executive Director) & the Staff and Council of the ANT.
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
