The pond at Mill Rum, Grand Case.
MARIGOT--The Collectivité has disclosed that La Mare de Mill Rum, a small 6,000-metre-square pond in Grand Case owned by the Collectivité for several years, has been undergoing profound changes in its ecosystem due to invasive exotic species developing there without control.
The Collectivité decided to organise a training session with the aim of educating people about the protection of this natural area. After numerous exchanges with specialists from Pôle Relais des Zones Humides Tropicales, based in Martinique and involved in restoration of ponds in the Antilles, a first “nature work camp” was organised.
The objective of this intervention was to train several members of local associations working in the field of environment in the methods of fighting against invasive exotic species and to put this knowledge into practice on the sites concerned.
Several associations responded to the call and attended the training organised by the Collectivité on Friday, February 3. The next day, a first “nature work camp” took place at the pond site.
Vice President in charge of the Living Environment Bernadette Davis said, “The restoration of habitats, the recovery of biodiversity and protection of natural environments are fields of application that the Collectivité has decided to support and which should offer new perspectives to associations.
“I am therefore very proud of this first operation and I would like to thank Matthieu and Mélanie from Pôle Relais des Zones Humides Tropicales for their involvement in the service of local associations that have also understood the importance of this environmental protection project.”
She said other nature projects will be organised as necessary and will systematically provide an opportunity for specialists to transfer their skills to associations so that St. Martin can quickly rise to the environmental challenges facing it as a result of a very high population density and climatic upheavals that endanger living organisms.
“It is up to us collectively and on a territorial scale to develop such initiatives, which provide training and jobs. This commitment will ultimately be part of a growing territorial competence in environmental matters,” Davis concluded.
