At 238 square miles (617km²) in area, or roughly a third of the size of greater London, space has always been at a premium on the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia.
Despite its small size, it features no fewer than five terrestrial ecosystems (moist forest, leeward dry forest, windward dry forest, xeric (dry) shrubland and mangrove) and is estimated to harbour 200 species found nowhere else. Now tourism is being used to protect some of the most endangered.
Matthew ‘Willow’ Francois (photo: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority):
In a bid to get its tourists involved in the island’s non-sand habitats, Saint Lucia is adding to its reputation for laidback subtropical beaches and high-end all-inclusive resorts with the sorts of khaki-clad adventures more usually associated with east and southern Africa.
Thought you couldn’t safari in the Caribbean? Think again. The island’s former Chief Forestry Officer and avid birder Adams Toussaint, who has more than 45 years of experience under his belt, has created the Small Six Safari.
In a cheeky nod to Africa’s Big Five, Toussaint leads these two day ‘safaris’ alongside his small team of locals at Saint Lucia Birding and Wildlife Ambassadors, including Matthew ‘Willow’ Francois, who joins me for the second day of the tour.
The aim is to get holidaymakers up close and personal to half a dozen of the island’s endemic and most intriguing species, supporting conservation efforts in the process.
Each of the six chosen species features Saint Lucia in their common names, and consist of three birds (parrot, black finch and oriole) and three reptiles (worm snake, whiptail lizard and pygmy gecko). The island’s endemic mammals – a muskrat, agouti and opossum – were all driven to extinction by human activity in recent decades (save for nine species of bat), highlighting the importance of the new initiative.
A main focus of Toussaint’s Small Six tours is Quilesse Forest Reserve, where five of the six species can be found. Located towards the centre of the island, the reserve is reached via roads whose telephone poles are dotted with epiphytic orchids in much the same way trainers make their way onto their British counterparts.
The most charismatic is the Saint Lucia parrot, otherwise known as the jacquot. With feathers ranging from deep blue to yellow via vivid greens and reds, the jacquot is the island’s national bird and only parrot.
Even before the advent of the Small Six, the bird had undergone a remarkable recovery, with a 1900% increase in numbers since conservation efforts were launched following a devasting hurricane in 1980.
Saint Lucia oriole (photo: Anse Chastanet)
‘The numbers have increased so they are moving away from the forest’ Toussaint told me. ‘When mangoes are in season [May – August] they come right by the side of the road. They love mangoes.’ At other times of year, the historic Des Cartier Trail, running through the heart of Quilesse, remains one of the best places to try and spot one – or indeed two, as they mate for life and usually travel in their pairs.
‘When I was young, we would never see the parrots that close… Myself included, we used to hunt birds. Now it’s a whole different dynamic’ says Francisco Jn Pierre, who took me to meet Toussaint after a previous life as a politician.
Nor are the parrots just attractive to look at. Adams tells me they are an important seed dispersal mechanism, guaranteeing them a place on the Small Six list Toussaint was ‘still juggling’ when I visited.
‘We have so many to play with. The Small Six is supposed to be like a flagship, so people can see others [endemic species] as well.’ It’s a thought well proven over the course of my two-day tour, with Toussaint and Francois also pointing out white-breasted thrasher, critically endangered house wren and Saint Lucia anole.
‘As a biodiversity hotspot people can come and appreciate how biodiverse it is, and what a high level of endemics there are. We’re still discovering new endemism’ concludes Toussaint. Knowing my trip can ultimately help is as reassuring as the constant lap of waves on Saint Lucia’s famed beaches.