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UWI TODAY – SUNDAY 16 DECEMBER, 2018
70
th
ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE
BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH
– ISSUE ARCHIVE AUGUST 2010
Kerrie Naranjit
Tell us about your project.
My project assesses the phenology of the Trinidad
Piping Guan (Pawi). Phenology is the study of plant and
animal life cycle events and how these are influenced by
seasonal variations. The Pawi is a large forest bird endemic
to Trinidad (found only here) and it’s critically endangered,
with less than 200 left in the world. They’ve become
endangered because of hunting and habitat loss. It’s illegal
to hunt them, but it has been going on.
My project is basically looking at the ecology of the
bird so that we can learn more about it to develop better
management plans for the species.
Although there’ve been other projects on it before,
they’re usually short-term, so this is pretty much the longest
project on a single population of birds. I’ve done more than
two years’ field work at Grande Riviere and Morne Bleu.
Those are two sites where they’re regularly seen.
My fieldwork included field studies where I would
go out there every morning – they’re most active in the
morning, so I did most of my observations from sunrise,
about half-five, to about nine o’clock. If I did see them, I’d
observe their activities –whether they’re feeding or preening
or anything like that – what they’re feeding on, where they
are in the area, if there are any preferences for parts of the
habitat, how they interact with each other, how they interact
with other species and stuff like that. What I’m doing right
now is analyzing that data so that if we get a better idea of
what their behavior is like and of their habitat use, we can
put good management strategies in place for them, because
it’s really important right now to increase their population.
Why did you choose this topic?
When I was looking for my M Phil project, the EMA
(Environmental Management Authority) decided to fund
several Environmentally Sensitive Species projects, so there
was funding available for it. I also didmy undergrad project
on the Pawi in Grande Rivere and enjoyed it. So it seemed
a logical choice. I was financially supported by the World
Pheasant Association and the Pawi Study Group, which is a
local group that deals with conservation of this one species.
Howhas your personal experiencebeen
working on this project?
Well I’ve always been a field person, so it was the ideal
project for me in some senses. But there are always the
difficulties of having to get up early in the morning, climb a
hill before sunrise in whatever weather, with insects around,
when youmay or may not see what you’re looking for. I have
been exposed to a lot of things that a lot of people don’t get
to see, just from working out there, a lot of birds and other
animals that are in the forest, and working with community
members who are trying to make the most of the situation.
The same people who might have hunted them in the past,
are actually trying to build up eco-tourism.
I lived in Grande Riviere, a rural village on the North
coast of Trinidad, for most of the project. I came home every
other week. I lived in an interesting house. My bedroomwas
part of the living room and we had chickens living inside
and stuff like that. But it was a very, very safe place to live.
The villagers are very friendly, so I felt comfortable.
The difficulty is when you’re actually all by yourself and
you have to go up there and sit down and look and wait.
You learn to be patient. You find ways to occupy your time.
Sometimes you don’t see them (the Pawi) at all for days.
I came across snakes and other forest creatures. I
actually came across a Mapepire (a poisonous snake)
practically on my shoe because I walked into it without
noticing and luckily just happened to stop. I was looking
for something, or listening for a sound, and then I looked
down and the Mapepire was right on the edge of my shoe,
so I just stepped back. It was a small one, but you do get
bigger snakes as well. I never got close to bigger ones really
… well that I knew of.
What did you like most about working
on your project?
Being outside. I learnt a lot about my birds. I enjoyed
that a lot. I did a lot of photography up there. I actually do
photography now – that kinda grew out of being out there.
I was always interested in photography, but I didn’t really
start anything professionally until I got up there. I also got
a lot of practice and experience with the project itself. You
have to take pictures of every Pawi that you see pretty much.
I think the experience also increased my sense of
responsibly for conservation and environmental issues.
Working with a rare and endangered species is unique and
rewarding. The people I worked with, both in the field and
out, have helped build me into who I am proud to be today
and I hope to continue working with them to rescue this
valuable species, and to encourage personal involvement in
conservation and environmental issues in as many people
as possible.
The University of the West Indies is taking the reins in the global movement to preserve our environment
by establishing and funding environmentally focused programmes and research to help educate our society
on the bounty of natural resources at our doorstep. Serah Acham speaks with three UWI students who have
turned their postgraduate research projects into a bid to preserve the wildlife of our twin-island nation.
PRESERVINGNATURE’SBOUNTY
