Volunteer group
Mangrove replanting
MULLET POND–Nature Foundation replanted mangroves in Mullet Pond with the help of Milton Peters College and Jorakhae Freediving School students on February 15. Volunteers spent the entire day working intensively to enhance the environment and to assist nature in recovering from Hurricane Irma.
The mangroves in Mullet Pond experienced additional impact due to the large number of boats illegally tied to their roots during the hurricane. Restoring the mangroves was much needed at that location.
Nature Foundation has been advocating for large-scale mangrove restoration in Mullet Pond and Simpson Bay to restore and enhance St. Maarten’s wetlands, as they are much needed for the island’s survival and protection.
About 200 red mangroves were planted at the denuded mangrove forests in the conservation zone at Mullet Pond, which was definitely desired, as about 50 per cent of the mangroves had not recovered yet since Hurricane Irma.
“We have been growing mangrove seeds behind our warehouse for over five months. Last week the juvenile mangroves were ready to be out planted. Hopefully, one day these little mangroves will be as large as the mangroves used to be in Mullet Pond before Irma,” said Nature Foundation Project Officer Melanie Meijer zu Schlochtern.
Mullet Pond is listed and protected as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Treaty. It is the last intact mangrove forest within Simpson Bay Lagoon; 70 per cent of all mangroves in Simpson Bay Lagoon are located in Mullet Pond.
Simpson Bay has lost large parts of its mangrove forests due to development, and worldwide the planet has already lost about two-thirds of its wetlands. Mangrove restoration is much required, especially on St. Maarten, to protect the people and the coast from storms and flooding.
The mangroves were funded by Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance as part of its environmental emergency support to Nature Foundation after the 2017 hurricanes. The Towers at Mullet Bay allowed access to their property to facilitate the planting.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/85426-nature-foundation-replants-mangroves-in-mullet-pond
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