Stories from the Field

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.

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.

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.