Professional Documents
Culture Documents
In 1999 I met a young a farmer, Melvin Smith. His interest, excellent botanical eyes and
bush sense meant that for the first time I could go off-trail particularly in the Gimie Range
and Gros Piton and to follow the narrow, deep lowland ravines of the Choiseul area. Our
200 or so field trips took us to all parts of the island. These walks were always exhausting
(at least for me), sometimes exciting (rock falls, snakes, flash floods) but resulted in a
treasure trove of over 250 new records.
In 2004 I decide to tackle orchids. Through Jacques Fournet, Director of the herbarium in
Guadeloupe, I contacted Philippe Feldmann who helped with some tentative
identifications of images. He suggested I also contact James Ackerman of UPRRP which led
to Frank Axelrod. As I had already found quite a few new orchid records, they encouraged
to collect specimens to be lodged at UPRRP. (Up to this point I had been studying the flora
more than collecting.)
Some funding through the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan became available
to me and I used it to make initial collections of sedges and grasses in 2005, 2 families I
had not tackled and for which Frank Axelrod made the initial determinations. This then
broadened into a project to essentially to have all extant monocot and dicot wild taxons
(about 1300 species) represented by specimens at UPRRP. This has proceeded quite fast
as I already knew the species and where and when to collect. Normally I was able to
identify specimens and prepare labels. This project will be essentially complete by 2007.
A late idea was to collect ferns and about 80 species have been found so far – Zoë Goodwin
made an initial collection in July 2005 and I followed up in 2006 - again I needed Frank to
make initial determinations. These specimens are now being digitalized and will be
available on -line
I am deeply indebted to Frank Axelrod who has responded patiently to hundreds of emails
over the last 2 years, helping me with technicalities of collecting, labeling, checking my
identifications, identifying initial collections of grasses, sedges and ferns, and suggesting
suitable experts (Mark Strong, Leslie Landrum, and Pedro Acevedo). Given his workload,
his prompt detailed help has been amazing.
The Future
In the future I would like to make a electronic pictorial flora of cultivated and wild plants
of St. Lucia, using the 10,000 or so digital images I have – this would be very welcome in
St. Lucia where many people are interested in wild plants but find the variety
overwhelming.
In addition if funding becomes available, I would like to collect on other British
Commonwealth mountainous islands as I believe they are richer floristically than is
recorded.
Thanks
Many of the individuals and institutions abroad I have to thank are mentioned above.
Within St Lucia I need to mention the following organizations and people:
St.Lucia has an excellent forest reserve, due entirely to the efforts and enthusiasm of the
Department of Forestry. Personally I must thank all members of the Department of
Forestry, from casual worker to Chief Forestry Officer, for their continuous support and
encouragement, and for allowing me to use their facilities and roam the forest. I have
never had anything other than positive reactions from everyone in the department.
I must also thank Henry Augustin, co-owner with myself of La Panache Guesthouse. With
the exception of some welcome funding in 2005 (see above), all the substantial costs
(cameras, equipment, books, transportation, guides, FedEx parcels, computers etc. etc.)
of over 10 years of work have been sponsored by the guesthouse and hence by Henry.
In addition our housekeeper Sheran O’Reilly has cheerfully tolerated the restaurant being
repeatedly covered by “bits of old bush” which she has to clean up at the end of the day.
Fortunately for me Henry and Sheran both have a great love of plants.