KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Natural History Museum of Jamaica (NHMJ) is calling on Jamaicans to play their part in protecting and conserving wetlands as it carries out habitat restoration work in the Mason River Protected Area.

Speaking at the second Wetlands Awareness Virtual Engagement (WAVE) on February 9, Assistant Botanist at the NHMJ, Sashalee Cross, cited several threats the Mason River Protected Area in Clarendon has faced since the discovery of the property.

“Such threats include logging, clearance for agriculture, fires, bird shooting, invasive species and also climate change. One of the greatest threats to the biodiversity of the area has been the spread of the invasive plant species, the vampire fern, (Dicranopteris pectinata),” said Cross, who is also the Lead Researcher on the Invasive Species Control and Habitat Restoration Project, currently under way at the Mason River site.

She said the team from the NHMJ has been removing the invasive vampire fern specie, which has been taking over a section of the property by killing other plant species and they are now in the phase of restoring the vegetation of the affected area.

While highlighting the numerous benefits of wetlands from providing habitat and water purification to sustaining livelihoods and providing economic opportunities, Cross urged people to protect wetlands by taking on a few practices.

“Let us help to take care of our environment by also taking care of our wetlands. We can stop littering [and] dispose of all our garbage properly; reduce use of pesticides and fertilisers, especially when living close to a wetland area; avoid planting non-native and invasive species of plants; do not remove plants that do not pose a threat to wetlands from wetland areas – they are important and are a vital part of the wetland ecosystem; keep your pets under control, as some of our aquatic pets may be harmful to wetland areas if they are released in them; and take part in conservation projects that help wetlands,” Cross said.

The Mason River Protected Area is a Game Sanctuary, Jamaica’s only inland peat bog and was designated a Wetland of International Importance (or Ramsar Site) in 2011. It is home to 431 native and endemic plant species, including four carnivorous plant species, and an array of fauna, including 54 species of birds.

The 202-acre Mason River Protected Area is co-managed by the NHMJ, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT).

Funding partners for the Mason River Protected Area Invasive Species Control and Habitat Restoration Project are NEPA and the Jamaica Conservation Partners.

The NHMJ, a division of the Institute of Jamaica under the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, is hosting weekly WAVEs during the month of February, in commemoration of World Wetlands Day 2021.

The series, called ‘Join the WAVE’ is streamed each Tuesday on the NHMJ’s YouTube page at noon.

— JIS