EPIC News – EPIC

Congratulations Anderson Jean, Stanford Law School’s 2022 Bright Award Winner!

September 21, 2022

Co-Founder of the leading Haitian conservation organization Action pour la Sauvegarde de l’Ecologie en Haiti (ACSEH) and Environmental Protection in the Caribbean’s (EPIC) Haiti Project Manager for the Black-capped Petrel Conservation Program, Anderson Jean, has been chosen as the 2022 Bright Award Winner. The Bright Award is given annually to an “individual who has made significant contributions in the environmental preservation and sustainability area.”

Challenges of Field Work

September 21, 2022

Caribbean seabird field work is rarely without its challenges: rough seas, foul weather, impenetrable thickets of thorny bushes, and brutal heat. Now we can add festivals to our list! We do this vital work because we care about seabirds and want to ensure they are here for generations to come.

Allowing Petrels to Fly Free

September 21, 2022

At sunset, off the island of Hispaniola, an adult Black-capped Petrel circles over the Caribbean Sea, waiting for darkness. It’s under the cover of darkness that this species flies inland and heads to its nesting grounds on the high forested peaks of the island. Some nights the petrels will accidently strike hazards, falling to the ground stunned, often never being able to continue their journey to the nesting grounds.

Cay-Hill Community Council hosts its first Community Cleanup

September 11, 2022

Updates about this project, student applications, and clean-up dates will be posted on EPIC’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/epicislands. Project coordinators Riddhi Samtani and Laura Bijnsdorp can be reached at projects@epicislands.org for enquiries and collaborations.

The Caribbean Seabird Webinar Continues with Natalia Collier

August 25, 2022

A step-by-step will be helpful for figuring out how best to monitor seabirds from land or sea in a variety of habitats. A team of experts will be on hand to answer your questions. Register at bit.ly/CaribSeabird-Webinar3.

Hike Sint Maarten!

August 22, 2022

Upcoming Hike Dates and Locations:
*Sunday 4th September – Naked Boy Hill – Map
*Sunday 2nd October – West Coast Trail – Map
*Sunday 6th November – hike to be determined, Watch this Space!
*Sunday 4th December – hike to be determined, Watch this Space!

Now Hiring – Pelican Project Coordinator

August 1, 2022

EPIC is seeking a part-time Project Coordinator for the project “An investigation of the state of Sint Maarten’s brown pelican population, for improved management of the species and its habitat.” The Project Coordinator is responsible for the successful completion of project objectives and meeting grant requirements. The long-term goal of this project is to improve management of natural resources for the preservation of biodiversity on Sint Maarten, particularly Sint Maarten’s brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis occidentalis) population and associated habitats.

Major Climate Change Impacts for Sint Maarten Predicted by Recent Study

July 19, 2022

A recent analysis of climate change impacts for Sint Maarten shows how major storms, which are increasingly common, will have a profound effect on the Small Island Developing State (SIDS) of Sint Maarten in the Dutch Antilles. Annual damage estimates to Sint Maarten from major storms are USD $3 million. And by the year 2100, a worst-case scenario could result in 47% of Philipsburg and 29% of Cole Bay being flooded.

Teaching Environmental Education in Haiti

July 19, 2022

It’s a bit dark in the classroom as there is no electricity for lights in the village of Boukan Chat, Haiti. The children have settled into the small school building at the center of town. Dressed in their school uniforms, sitting on wood benches, they wait for the teacher to start class. They hear a commotion from the back of the dark room and turn to see a six-foot tall Black-capped Petrel walk into the room flapping its wings.

First Petrel Nest Found on Haiti’s Highest Peak

June 14, 2022

In May, a small team of Haitian petrel biologists pulled out of the small dusty town of Jacmel, and headed their pick-up truck northeast. They eased it up the heavily rutted road to begin their expedition to see if endangered Black-capped Petrels nested on the mountain called Pic La Selle. Due to the remote nature of that area, few biologists had visited it for more than 60 years, when some of the first known Black-capped Petrels in Haiti were found there by David Wingate during expeditions in 1961 and 1963.

Naming the Many Seabirds of the Grenadines

June 14, 2022

A seabird identification workshop in the Grenadines archipelago is helping to increase the capacity of law enforcement to protect important seabird populations on remote offshore islands. During the two-day training, participants learned to identify species in the field and familiarized themselves with local conservation threats, they may encounter in their work, such as poaching.

EPIC to Collect Data on Littering Habits of St. Maarten Residents

June 13, 2022

A new awareness campaign titled “Why do we litter? – Sint Maarten” was kicked off in May by Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) Sint Maarten Foundation and includes more than a dozen neighborhood clean-up events during 2022. With the collected data the researchers aim to formulate sustainable and actionable follow-up steps to prevent litter on the island.

Free Monthly Hikes in Sint Maarten

June 1, 2022

EPIC will resume offering free monthly hikes with the first one on the Fleming property, Sint Maarten on Sunday 5th June. The hike starts at 6am at the Cole Bay end of the Causeway bridge and heads up to the UTS ball at the top.

Researchers Confirm Presence of Endangered Diablotin Black-capped Petrel on Dominica, Raising Hopes of Finding Nesting Area

April 30, 2022

Researchers have confirmed a sighting of an Endangered Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata), known locally as “the Diablotin bird,” in flight over Dominica earlier this year. If nesting is confirmed, Dominica would be the second known nesting island for Black-capped Petrel in the world.

EPIC: Taking Strides in Protecting the Environment

April 30, 2022

Earth Day press coverage of EPIC in the Daily Herald: the leading newspaper for St. Martin and the northeast Caribbean.

Discover Our 2021 Annual Impact Report

April 18, 2022

Thank you to our donors, volunteers, and staff for the many hours of work that included monitoring remote seabird colonies in the Grenadines, rebuilding a recreational birdwatching hut on Sint Maarten, and teaching children about healthy watersheds in Haiti. These inspiring activities continued during 2021, which was a very challenging year as we all navigated the effects of a global pandemic. Read our 2021 Annual Impact Report to learn more.

How to Find a Petrel

April 18, 2022

Dominica, West Indies – In May of 2007, a bus driver was leaving the Dominican village of Trafalgar heading towards the capital city of Roseau. Passing through the village of Padu, he noticed an odd-looking bird on the road. Curious, he stopped and got out to have a look. Upon closer inspection, this was a bird he had never seen in Dominica before. Something was off about this bird, perhaps it was injured or stunned in some way, so the bus driver picked the bird up, put it on his lap, and continued his bus route to Roseau.

EPIC Trains Volunteer Hike Leaders

April 18, 2022

A successful training session on Sint Maarten expanded the number of trained volunteer hike leaders and increased the island’s eco-tourism capacity. Twelve participants, including tour guides and educators, completed the training, hosted by Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) and funded by Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds (PBCCG). It was held in space donated by Samenwerkende Fondsen Cariben and Resources 4 Community Resilience on April 3rd.

Free Hike-Guide Training Offered on Sint Maarten

April 1, 2022

EPIC Sint Maarten invites people interested in becoming volunteer hike leaders to participate in a free two-hour training session this Sunday April 3, 2022, at 9 – 11 a.m. at the SFC/R4CR office (the old WIB branch) on AT Illidge Road.

EPIC in the News – Caribbean Compass

March 30, 2022

Check out the recent edition of the Caribbean Compass -The Caribbean’s Monthly Look at Sea & Shore – for two awesome articles about EPIC. See page 10 for “From Two to Team: The Story of EPIC” and page 11 for “Conserving the Black-Capped Petrel.”

Exciting News from EPIC Co-Founders Natalia Collier and Adam Brown

January 28, 2022

We’re sharing this message today in celebration of two big changes within our non-profit organization. EPIC now has a new logo and website. When we founded EPIC more than 20 years ago, we wanted to make a difference….

An EPIC New Year Ahead

January 28, 2022

Message from EPIC Executive Director Tabitha Stadler – I want to personally thank you for your continued support. 2021 was a tough year for us all, as we experienced the effects of a global pandemic. EPIC used this time for introspection and strategic growth. We are excited to share some new developments with you…

EPIC Caribbean Trivia

January 28, 2022

Entertain, educate and enliven your day with EPIC’s weekend social media Caribbean trivia, starting up on February 5, 2022, and posted weekly.

Conservationists Pen Action Plan to Protect Extremely Elusive and Endangered Seabird

January 7, 2022

“Conserving the Diablotin” informed by a decade of exploration and research January 28, 2022—The Endangered Black-capped Petrel is a seabird so secretive that ten years

A Path of Partnership

November 20, 2021

The Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds has been a vital supporter of the EPIC Sint Maarten Foundation since 2013, awarding our non-profit more than $80,000 for eight conservation projects including…

Community Helps Identify Restoration Sites

October 12, 2021

Deciding which sites are most important for restoration takes a community effort. The knowledge and experience of Working Group members are crucial for making informed decisions. In this case, the subject was non-native mammals that damage island biodiversity and…

Tumultuous Times Brought by Haiti Earthquake

October 12, 2021

EPIC team members were visiting petrel nesting sites, high in the mountains of Haiti, when they received text messages on 14 August at about 8:30 a.m., that a massive 7.2 earthquake was rocking their homes. The team quickly made their way back to discover…

Island Conservation Takes Off with Drone Training

September 23, 2021

Monitoring wildlife can be challenging in remote or difficult to reach places. The use of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), also known as a drone, is one method for ensuring that local enforcement agencies can monitor and protect wildlife, such as seabirds which nest on uninhabited islands in the Grenadines. Learn more…

Haiti Relief Shelters for Les Cayes

August 24, 2021

THANK YOU to all the generous and caring supporters who responded to our request and donated towards Haiti Relief. We raised more than $4,000 and were able to ship supplies and shelters directly to Les Cayes, where EPIC teams live and work.
We are all so grateful. Thank you again.

3 Things that EPIC Does Really Well

July 28, 2021

Join our team of supporters on #GivingTuesday and give an EPIC gift because….

Putting Mammals On The Map

June 12, 2021

The Grenadines Seabird Guardians is a group of volunteers that travel to remote, uninhabited islands to monitor and protect seabirds and habitats in this vast archipelago that includes the nations of Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Taking to the Air to Protect Seabirds

June 12, 2021

This is the season when migratory seabirds, such as terns and gulls, return to the Grenadines islands to nest. This abundance of birds, that may number in the thousands, unfortunately attracts poachers who collect eggs and chicks from these nesting colonies.

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