Long Term Goal N°8 : Natural Heritage Intervention - IP

Long Term Goal N°8 : Natural Heritage Intervention - IP

Long Term Goal N°8 : Natural Heritage Intervention - IP

Gaspard Dubois
Gaspard Dubois

An internship to limit damage at Pinel

Gaspard Dubois, a second-year student at the Sorbonne with a double-major in geoscience and Chinese, was hosted by La Réserve Naturelle from May 24 to July 20, 2021. His goal was to create a bibliographical review for the island of Pinel and do an appraisal about the state of health of the biotope on this small island, which is subject to diverse pressure from humans, especially from the commercial installations located there. The student finished his internship with a second project: The drafting of a technical and scientific argument to solicit the integration of a second station to monitor the quality of the water along the maritime coasts of Saint Martin, as part of a study on Water Framework Directive (DCE) sponsored by the DEAL. This station would complement the current local network, with low exposure to anthropogenic influences.

Sansevieria
Sansevieria

Fight against exotic, invasive species

On May 31 – June 3, 2021, La Réserve Naturelle hosted a professional training session organized by the OFB on the subject of management of exotic, invasive species. This training, led by the French committee for the UICN and Julien Chalifour, was attended by 15 participants from all across the French Caribbean. The first three days were dedicated to theoretical questions. What is a biological invasion? What are the consequences? How to detect it? And how to manage it? The last day included practical sessions in the field. On the island of Pinel, the participants were able to actually contribute to the fight against two invasive vegetal species— sisal agave and sansevieria—which reproduce rapidly. The goal was to expose the participants to the logistical restraints of these kinds of actions in the field: preparation of tools; access by boat to a small island; progressing on foot to carry the equipment; organization of the work site to remove the invasive plants from a protected site in a natural reserve; work to prevent new propagation at the site, as well as at the site of elimination, such as the Grandes Cayes eco-site, where 180 kilos of invasive plant debris was composted. Pascal Alix-Laborde, territorial council member in charge of the environment, listened in on this training. In this way, an elected official could be made aware of the problems caused by biological invasions, and extra management costs if action if not taken in a timely manner.

Collaboration with the French committee of the UICN is not new, as La Réserve Naturelle—as well as the Territorial Environmental Agency in Saint Barthélemy—represents a focal point for all the problems related to the management of exotic invasive species in Saint Martin. This close collaboration will be continued at the IUCN World Conservation Congress to be held in Marseille on September 3 -11, 2021.
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