Times of the Islands Winter 2022/23

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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources CHRISTOPHER MAY Clockwise from top left are some of the species of flora and fauna fround in the Ramsar site nature reserve: Caicos pine seedling; Caicos pine forest, Middle Caicos; hawksbill sea turtle, Middle Caicos; and blue crab, North Caicos. The Darwin Plus Project 129 aims to provide more detailed scientific research and exploration of the reserve to aid in future conservation efforts. Using Technology to Preserve Nature Darwin Plus 129 Ramsar Site Mapping Project. By Christopher May, Wetlands Ecologist, DECR The wetland habitats of the North, Middle, and East Caicos Nature Reserve support several important functions that benefit the Turks & Caicos Islands, both nationally and internationally. The nature reserve is recognised as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, due to its worldwide relevance in the conservation of species such as birds, plants, and marine reptiles. 36 www.timespub.tc
green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources As both a protected area and a Ramsar site, it offers many functions and benefits which include habitats for native and migratory biota, protection of the Islands from storms and hurricanes, carbon sequestering and storage, and cultural and historical relevance. Ecosystems within the Ramsar site include coastal habitats, intertidal mangrove forests and marshlands, shrublands, limestone forests, pine rocklands, ponds, and blue holes. These environments provide niche habitats for marine fishes, crustaceans, reptiles, and migratory birds like flamingos and ducks. In order to better understand the Ramsar site and its threats, DECR is using both on-the-ground data collection and GIS imagery to remotely sense changes to the site over time. The Darwin Plus Project 129, “Understanding Ramsar Wetland Dynamics for Marine Conservation and Environmental Resilience,” aims to provide more detailed scientific research and exploration of the reserve, to provide evidence for future conservation efforts. The Ramsar site, like many wetlands, is threatened by the looming and ever encroaching effects of climate change, urbanization, and pollution. Forested areas are threatened by fragmentation when development occurs; water bodies above and below ground are threatened by contamination; and poaching and overharvesting puts wildlife populations at risk. Climate change also produces many long-term changes, including rises in temperature, fluctuations in drought and precipitation cycles, wildfires, sea level rise, fluctuations in the production cycle of plants, and changes in spawning and migration cycles of animals. Environment Systems Ltd. (ES) has been partnering with the Department of Environment & Coastal Resources (DECR) of the Turks & Caicos Islands Government for almost eight years on various projects focusing on mapping and GIS technology. Along with DECR and ES, other international agencies are partnering on this project to gather data and samples, identify areas at risk, and produce interactive maps modelled to project how climate change will affect the Ramsar site over the course of the next 80 years. The other organizations involved (Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Marine Conservation Society, University of Exeter, and Wavehill) contribute to the overall technological output, data management, In November 2022, Environmental Systems team members visited TCI. The workshop included an exciting field day where they visited five very different habitats in the Ramsar site. DODLY PROSPER Times of the Islands Winter 2022/23 37
Page 1 and 2: TIMES OF THE SAMPLING THE SOUL OF T
Page 4 and 5: contents Departments 6 From the Edi
Page 6 and 7: from the editor MICHAEL MORTON—WW
Page 8 and 9: The Leading Private Bank in the Tur
Page 11: Building Your Vision, Delivering Ex
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Times of the Islands Winter 2022/23

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