Mangrove restoration drive reaches Mon Repos, Hope
THE Mangrove Action Committee (MAC) is advancing works in line with its mandate and the Chairperson, Mrs. Annette Arjoon-Martins yesterday said progress is as per schedule.
The undertakings of the MAC, established under the $100M Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project (GMRP), are being guided by the National Mangrove Action Plan 2010.
Yesterday another billboard, advocating protection of mangroves, was put up at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, with support from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).
Simultaneously Arjoon-Martins husband, popular artiste Dave Martins released a 30-second jingle aimed at advancing public awareness of the scheme.
He told the Guyana Chronicle that his production is the first of several expected to be produced by Guyanese.
Martins said the MAC has approached several people to do jingles when the funding becomes available but, in the interim, he volunteered to do one for free.
He said the songs highlight the importance of mangroves as well as the benefits.
Martins said: “Like any jingle, it is a short, precise message.”
At Mon Repos Primary School, similar messages were delivered to a gathering of residents in the village where animals grazing on the foreshore are a serious challenge to mangrove restoration.
That was the second outreach for this week, following one at Hope Secondary School, also on East Coast Demerara, where dumping in the mangroves has been identified as causing a problem in the beach area.
GMRP Coordinator, Mr. Bissasar Chintamanie, said meetings were held in those two locations which are targeted sites for mangrove planting, part of a pilot to aid future mangrove restoration.
He said, prior to the meetings, house to house visits were paid by the MAC team to encourage support for the programme.
At Hope Secondary School, on Wednesday, the community role in protecting, managing and restoring mangrove forests was the primary topic.
Mangrove Specialist and Assistant Dean of the Faulty of Agriculture and Forestry at University of Guyana (UG), Professor Owen Bovell said, in countries where such restoration projects were successful, it was because of community involvement.

Assistance

He told the 70 persons present that the assistance of residents will be solicited for mangrove seedlings collection, caring of seedlings, the planting process, collection of information and reporting.
Bovell reiterated the importance, primarily because it will assist in preventing damage to the designated project sites.
According to him, the support of residents will also be sought to assist the MAC in reporting on accretion (the process where coastal sediments return to the visible portion of the coastline or the build-up of mud banks); reporting on regeneration and destruction of mangroves and disseminating information to inform and avoid practices that destroy mangroves.
Bovell said those who come on board will be trained and only the basic of skills are required to contribute to the success of the GMRP.
“People outside of Hope will not be sourced to look after Hope. We need you. Community involvement is very important,” he told those gathered there.
He said it is the “people’s project” which will save the coastline and exhorted them: “This is your project. This is your coastline. Get involved and protect it.”
Bovell said the cost of investing in one metre of seawall is approximately $600,000, whereas five mangroves can be planted for far less.