[PCA] Volunteer Opportunity in Native Plant Conservation in the Caribbean

[Lauren Schmaltz]

On the Caribbean island of Bonaire the Yellow-shouldered Amazon Parrot (IUCN: Vulnerable) inhabits an equally endangered dry-forest. After felling nearly every tree, early European settlers introduced goats and donkeys. What remains is an uninviting thorny forest heading towards desertification.
Working to safeguard the parrot’s future and restore the dry-forest, Echo, an NGO on Bonaire, is tackling the biological and social threats that underpin the current situation.

The Echo team have established a native plant nursery and approximately 10,000 plants representing over 40 native species have been propagated. These include species that are important food and nest trees for the parrot including the Guaiacum officinale, G. sanctum which are Endangered (IUCN) and Zanthoxylum flavum which is Vulnerable (IUCN).

Government led programs to control invasive herbivores are underway, however these programs will take many years to reduce the density of those species. In order to jump start reforestation efforts and boost further propagation in the short term a strategic network of ten herbivore exclusion areas (fenced areas) are being developed. Planting can occur during the rainy season (October - February) within these fenced area allowing the abundance and diversity of native plants to increase immediately.

Three fenced areas have already been completed and over 1,000 trees have been planted out.

During the dry season (March - September), Echo will focus its efforts on building the next three to four exclusion areas so that the sites are protected in time for the rainy season when planting can occur.  In addition, the Echo team will continue to collect seeds, propagate plants, and maintain its native plant nursery.

To achieve these goals, Echo is looking for Plant Conservation volunteers/interns to start in March 2017.

Plant Conservationist – March 2017
Is a day filled with being outdoors, collecting seeds, potting plants and watering trees your idea of fun? Do you love to garden and have a knack for learning different types of plants as well as the types of environment they’ll grow in? Are you prepared to really get your hands dirty, building fences and trails and trimming branches? Do you want to gain practical experience in botanical work while also learning about conservation management and helping to make the world a better place? If so this could be a perfect position for you!

To apply, please visit: http://www.echobonaire.org/volunteer/current-opportunities/ <http://www.echobonaire.org/volunteer/current-opportunities/> and scroll to the bottom of the page to fill out the online application.

To learn more about the living and working conditions at Echo, please also read through our FAQs page: http://www.echobonaire.org/volunteer/faq/ <http://www.echobonaire.org/volunteer/faq/> 

Lauren Schmaltz
General Manager, Echo
+599 701-1188
lauren at echobonaire.org
Lauren Schmaltz
General Manager, Echo
+599 701-1188
lauren at echobonaire.org





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