Environmental Protection In The Caribbean Incorporated

PROTECTING THE CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENT THROUGH RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY-BASED ACTIONS.

THE BLACK-CAPPED PETREL PROGRAM - THE BLACK-CAPPED PETREL IS ONE OF THE RAREST SEABIRD IN THE CARIBBEAN. THIS ICONIC SEABIRD NESTS IN SOME OF THE LAST KNOWN ANCIENT FORESTS ON HISPANIOLA AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY ON DOMINICA IN THE LESSER ANTILLES. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN PETREL NESTING HABITAT HAS BEEN A LEADING CAUSE OF DECLINE FOR THE SPECIES AND HAS BEEN A CALL TO ACTION FOR EPIC TO TURN ITS FOCUS TOWARDS CONSERVING THIS KEYSTONE BIRD. SINCE 2012, EPIC HAS TRACKED POPULATIONS OF THIS SPECIES THROUGHOUT THE CARIBBEAN, LOCATED NEW NESTING AREAS, WORKED WITH COMMUNITIES TO REDUCE HUMAN IMPACTS ON FORESTS, REMOVED INTRODUCED PREDATORS OUT OF NEST AREAS, AND REDUCED THREATS TO FLYING PETRELS THROUGH THE REMOVAL OF DANGEROUS STRIKE HAZARDS. ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE INCREASED THE CAPACITY OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO FOCUS THEIR CONSERVATION EFFORTS ON PROTECTING THE PETREL THROUGH TRAINING PROGRAMS CONCENTRATING ON RESEARCH, SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, YOUTH EDUCATION, AND GRANT WRITING. FURTHERMORE, WE FOUNDED THE ONLY BLACK-CAPPED PETREL FOCUSED FESTIVAL IN THE CARIBBEAN. OUR RESEARCH SHOWS THAT BLACK-CAPPED PETREL NESTING POPULATIONS HAVE STABILIZED IN LOCATIONS WHERE WE WORK, A CLEAR INDICATION OF THE SUCCESSFUL IMPACT OF OUR CONSERVATION EFFORTS.

THE GRENADINES SEABIRD PROGRAM - IS PROTECTING THE HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT SEABIRD BREEDING POPULATIONS IN THE TRANSBOUNDARY ARCHIPELAGO OF GRENADA AND ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES, COVERING A TOTAL OF 74 SITES, INCLUDING 3 SITES OF GLOBAL SIGNIFICANCE AND 18 SIGNIFICANT TO THE CARIBBEAN. SEABIRDS ARE EXPERIENCING WORLDWIDE POPULATIONS DECLINES ESTIMATED AT 70% SO ADDRESSING THE IMPACTS OF POACHING, PLASTIC POLLUTION AND INTRODUCED PREDATORS IS ESSENTIAL. THIS PROGRAM FOCUSES ON RESEARCH, MONITORING, EDUCATION, AND CONSERVATION PLANNING. A TOTAL OF 70 CITIZEN SCIENTISTS ARE CURRENTLY TRAINED AS MEMBERS OF THE GRENADINES SEABIRD GUARDIANS, A GROUP THAT MONITORS POPULATIONS AT REMOTE, UNINHABITED ISLANDS. TRAINEES INCLUDE LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL WHO LEARNED HOW TO USE DRONES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING IN ADDITION TO IMPROVING THEIR SEABIRD IDENTIFICATION AND SURVEY SKILLS. THE PROGRAM HAS REACHED OVER 3,000 OUTREACH PARTICIPANTS WITH DEMONSTRATED INCREASES IN KNOWLEDGE, CONCERN, AND PRIDE REGARDING SEABIRDS. RESEARCH HAS INCLUDED INVASIVE SPECIES SURVEYS, USE OF A THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA ON A DRONE TO COUNT NESTING SEABIRDS FROM THE AIR AND GPS TRACKERS PLACED ON RED-FOOTED BOOBIES TO DETERMINE CRUCIAL FORAGING HABITATS.

CONSERVATION IN THE USVI - A GRANT-FUNDED PROJECT SUPPORTED EPIC TO COLLABORATE WITH PARTNERS IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS ON THE WATER SMART SCHOOLS VI PROGRAM WHICH IS A COMPREHENSIVE DRINKING WATER SAFETY AND WASTE REDUCTION PROGRAM THAT WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO SEVEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED THE DISTRIBUTION OF WATER QUALITY TESTING KITS FOR CLASSROOMS AND FACILITATION OF THE WATER HEROES WATER QUALITY TESTING CURRICULUM AND PARTICIPATION IN ECO-SCHOOLS, INCLUDING A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT, THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE BRONZE LEVEL CERTIFICATION, AND ONGOING EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT. THE GOALS ACHIEVED INCLUDE INCREASED ACCESS TO CLEAN SAFE DRINKING WATER FOR VIRGIN ISLANDS SCHOOL CHILDREN, TEACHERS AND STAFF, REDUCED AMOUNT OF PLASTIC WASTE GENERATED IN SCHOOLS, SPECIFICALLY THROUGH THE REDUCTION OF PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES, INCREASED LITERACY AND AWARENESS FOR VIRGIN ISLANDS SCHOOL CHILDREN, TEACHERS, AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY ABOUT ISSUES OF WATER QUALITY AND TESTING, WATER CONSERVATION AND POLLUTION, SOURCES OF FRESHWATER, AND PLASTIC WASTE, INCLUDING IMPACTS ON HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT.