The Forestry Department of the Ministry ofย Agriculture, Lands and Forestry has begun a task of gathering necessary data for use in a quest toย help protect and preserve the Grenada Dove and other bird species located at the Mt. Hartman Birdย Sanctuary.
The Grenada Dove, Leptotila Welsi, is endemic to Grenada. During past years, due to situationsย like natural and human interference, the population of the bird has dwindled, bringing the total to less than 200 birds. This known fact has sprung the Forestry Department into action, as it is hopefulย that the data collected will provide sufficient information to offer some protection to the existingย population.
A three-member Forest Ranger team will aid in putting the data together that will be used asย sensitization material to be disseminated to the general public, during the protection drive.
Forest Ranger, Shawn Philbert, is participating in this activity.
โDown here is the Dove Sanctuary, so we have to protect the dove. We donโt want any illegalย activities to take place in that area, because that will affect the dove,โ he said.
These illegal activities include things like illegal farming, illegal grazing of animals, the cuttingย down of trees and hunting outside of the open season.
Philbert said, โIf you are going to cut down trees there, what will happen is that the Dove will goย to a next place and you donโt want that to happen because visitors come to the sanctuary to see the behavior of the Grenada Dove.โ
Another Forest Ranger, Dolland Francis, is asking the public to educate themselves about theย Grenada National Bird.
โMany Grenadians underestimate the importance of our bird. The Grenada Dove can only be found in Grenada and I think we should do as much as we can and send out much information as we can to protect our dove. People need to understand that when we have something, we should cherish it because it does not last forever, so if we destroy the area in which it lives, eventually it will vanish and the generation to come will not know our Dove,โ remarked Francis.
โThe Grenada National Dove is recognized as very unique, special, and shy but people look at the dove as just a common bird and they do not respect it. That is why a lot of people do not seem to understand the dove and its behavior,โ said Peter Plenty, Tour Guide and Security Guard at theย Dove Sanctuary.
After the survey is completed, a strategy to control or minimize activities which threaten the population of the Grenada National Dove will be developed. The information will be processed byย the Forestry Department and disseminated to the general public, so that there can be an โall hands on deckโ approach in protecting the area.
