The Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary on Barbados
35-acre Wetland Provides Island's Only Dedicated Eco-Education Site
Oct 24, 2009
Opened in 2004, the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary quickly became one of the island's premier tourist attractions, as well as the center for wetland research and environmental education. Unfortunately, factors beyond the control of the Sanctuary negatively impacted the Sanctuary's investment, causing it to close most of its operations in December, 2008.
Barbados
Once a British colony, Barbados' cricket and polo matches still reflect that heritage. Add the colorful dress and dialect of the Caribbean, rum shops and sugar sand beaches, and it's easy to understand the broad international tourist appeal. Just 166 acres in size, the island lies at the easternmost edge of the Caribbean Sea, and is, in fact, bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean.
Barbados is also important environmentally, and provides a necessary stopover for migrating birds on their long flights between North and South America. Wetlands and mangrove forests are a key element in bird migration, and much of this habitat has been lost to island development. The most significant exception to this is the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary.
The Graeme Hall Swamp Wetland on Barbados
The Graeme Hall Swamp Wetland is an 81-acre preserve on the south coast of Barbados, between the capital of Bridgetown and Oistins. This area was recognized in 2006 as a "wetland of international importance" under the Convention on Wetlands Treaty, which designated it one of many environmentally important "Ramsar" sites, after the Iranian city where the treaty was signed.
After 15 years and 35 million dollars of investment, retired Canadian conservationist Peter Allard opened Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary in April, 2004. The 35-acre property, including Lake Tarpon, is located within the Graeme Hall Swamp Wetland.
The Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary
Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary was designed to provide controlled public access to the important bird habitat and wetlands, and to develop and support environmental and conservation educational and scientific programs on the island. The Sanctuary is a Barbados National Environmental Heritage Site. Non-intrusive boardwalks, aviaries and observation points were designed to allow bird and other wildlife watching without disturbing nesting activity.
The Sanctuary includes the last significant mangrove woodland on the island, including both white and red mangroves. Sanctuary resources have also focused on rainforest preservation and breeding programs for endangered parrots. A self-guided interpretive tour takes visitors along a path with 38 numbered posts, each explained in a 47-page tour booklet.
The Sanctuary is home to the most diverse number of resident and migratory birds on Barbados. More than 80 species have been identified at the Sanctuary, including locally threatened species such as the Caribbean Coot and the Golden Warbler. Other resident species found at the Sanctuary include Antillean Crested and Green-throated Carib hummingbirds, Grey Kingbird, Caribbean Elaenia, Black-whiskered Vireo, and Black-faced Grassquit.
Probably the most unusual resident of the Sanctuary is a fish, the Atlantic Tarpon. Tarpon Lake, the largest lake on Barbados, has no outlet to the sea, and tarpon have been trapped (and reproduced) within the lake for decades.
Public Closure of Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary
Pollution and pesticide runoff outside the Sanctuary has negatively impacted wetlands within the Sanctuary, as has government failure to maintain the primary sluice gate and to properly manage wetland water levels. In addition, pressure to develop key surrounding buffer land is high, and would irreparably damage the natural and necessary function of the wetlands. These factors, among others, are impacting the investment in the Sanctuary, and are beyond the direct control of the Sanctuary. Consequently, the Sanctuary's directors were forced to close the Sanctuary to the public in December, 2008.
Although the Sanctuary remains accessible to university scientists and students, as well as to special functions, it is unlikely to reopen unless the government takes responsibility for and actively manages the environmental concerns. A non-profit, non-governmental organization, The Friends of Graeme Hall (FOGH), has proposed the establishment of a 240-acre park, Graeme Hall National Park, which would encompass the 81-acre wetland, including the Nature Sanctuary, and add important buffer uplands surrounding the wetlands. This park would protect the environmentally sensitive area, and provide a much-needed recreation area for the congested south end of the island.
Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary and the Future
With luck, ongoing attempts (including a petition signed by 6,000 island residents) to address the environmental concerns or to establish a national park will succeed. In the meantime, tourists to Barbados and island residents will miss a wildlife and botanic treasure.
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