Officers within the Iyanola Project are pressing forward with conservation efforts, even as the project nears its end. The project began in 2015, and is now in its fourth and final year of implementation.

Francilia Solomon, Iyanola Project Coordinator, said the project focuses on the conservation of the island’s northeast.

“The project is one of natural resource management,” she said. “It seeks to sustainably and effectively manage the naturally occurring resources within the project area which spans from Cap Estate in the north through to Mandele Point in Dennery.”

Research Officer in the Forests and Lands Division, Karlmonty Augustin, said the area is of particular importance as it houses rare animal species.

“The Iyanola region, which stretches from Point du Cap to the Mandele Point is known for being the last home for the indigenous iguana, the Laser. However, there are other endemics in the region, other wildlife and plant species of importance that occupy that region. You can find there the Saint Lucia nightjar, which is a nocturnal bird and extremely rare. It is actually only found in that zone. There is also a portion of the population of the white breasted thrasher, and it is an important nesting site for leatherback turtles, and other turtles that stay in our waters throughout the year.”

The challenge to conservation lies in the fact that the area consists of land that is mainly privately owned. As a result, the project sought to include landowners in its conservation efforts.

“The project is engaging some of these private landowners with a view to them volunteering their lands for protection,” Ms. Solomon said. “These agreements need to be mutually beneficial. We are negotiating with the landowners especially those that have all the endemic species on their lands, and we are actively in discussions with them with a view to having a formal agreement with them.”

Meanwhile an assessment undertaken by the Department of Forestry evaluated the state of wildlife in the area.

“The Forestry Department conducted assessments of both flora and fauna. The fauna assessment is just about to conclude. That will give us a snapshot as to what has happened—whether we are seeing changes in the vegetation, degradation, and what the populations of our key species are.”

To date, the Department of Forestry has undertaken the restoration of lands, especially those threatened by shifting cultivation and riverbank erosion, and is considering innovative land management techniques that take into consideration the possibility of future land development.