Rotary Club of Central Tortola engages in mangrove cleanup & planting @ Slaney
60 red mangrove seedlings planted
According to the Rotary Club of Central, 60 red mangrove seedlings were planted.
It said Slaney Point faces significant challenges due to the frequent influxes of Sargassum seaweed, which can harm and even kill young mangrove seedlings.
“To address this issue, a small number of seedlings were strategically planted in an area outside the heavy sargassum infestations that plague the region.”
Red Mangroves
Red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) are sometimes called “walking trees” because their continuously growing prop roots make them look like they are walking on water.
Red mangroves are particularly significant because as they are found at the water’s edge, their submerged roots provide a nursery habitat for fish and crustaceans. They also provide a habitat for a number of mammals, birds, and reptiles.
People living along coastlines with healthy mangrove forests receive great benefits from the trees. During intense storms, mangrove forests act as a buffer, reducing wave action, preventing erosion, and absorbing floodwaters.
‘The mission’
Meanwhile, the Rotary Club of Central Tortola said both organisations are excited about the prospects of the ongoing partnership and look forward to collaborating further in the future.
As part of its overall thrust of pursuing projects that offer protection and restoration of the environment, the Rotary Club of Central Tortola is on a mission to partner with local agencies to replant hundreds of mangroves lost to the 2017 hurricanes.
The Club, which was officially chartered on January 15, 2021, embarked on its first mangrove planting exercise on Saturday, April 17, 2021, along the Sea Cows Bay Road. In conjunction with officials from the HLSCC nursery, some 130 seedlings were planted.
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13 Responses to “Rotary Club of Central Tortola engages in mangrove cleanup & planting @ Slaney”
For starters mangroves protect the shorelines against erosion. It filters runoff from the land, trapping pollutions , maintaining water quality. It serves as a nursery for lobsters, fish, and other marine fauna., including protecting threatened and endangered species. Further, they also protect shorelines from damaging tropical storms and hurricanes, etc., protecting against winds, water, and flooding, along with providing shelter for vessels. For example, back in the day, when a tropical storm, a gale( hurricane ), was approaching, boats would be taken to Clean Hole, Paraquita Bay, etc for safe shelter from the storms.
You could not have chosen a better project
Keep up that good work