Pearl Lagoon is incredibly rich in natural resources: a
lagoon teeming with fish and shellfish, sandy beaches used as nesting sites for
three species of sea turtle, rivers of clean fresh water, and fertile soil in
which grow coconut, palm, pineapple, yucca, hibiscus, mango, papaya, plantain,
Ethiopian apple, pine, rosewood, breadfruit, rose, and a myriad of other
flowering and fruit-bearing trees, root vegetables, herbs, and medicinal
plants. These resources may seem inexhaustible, but they are in fact in danger
of rapid depletion to total destruction. Wood is harvested for housing,
furniture, and decorative carvings. Forests are slashed and burned to make way
for cattle, or for the sprawling, monoculture palm oil farms. The fish, shrimp,
lobster, and turtle populations are being decimated by overfishing. Trash
collects in yards, on roadsides, along shorelines, and in rivers. The
factories, gas stations, and latrines that lie along the shoreline of the
lagoon further pollute the water, affecting the health of local wildlife and
community members alike.
Local leaders are trying to take the steps necessary
for environmental preservation and replenishment. The going is hard. There is
little infrastructure in place to support programs for trash disposal, recycling,
and reforestation. Currently, for instance, there is no public trash dump, no vehicles
to collect and transport trash, nor facilities to process recyclable materials.
Resources are hard to come by, making the development of this infrastructure difficult.
The laws instituted to protect local wildlife have been difficult to enforce.
But before you start thinking this is simply a sob story, let me tell you about
what the community is doing for itself.
Many local farmers are holding on to their lands, and
continue traditional crop rotations, enhancing produce variety and maintaining
soil fertility. Crops are sold locally.
Many fishermen respect the established fishing seasons
for lobster and sea turtle. Many are also discontinuing the traditional practice
of collecting turtle eggs for consumption.
University-level students study agroforestry to learn
the best techniques and practices for natural resource management. Programs are
offered here in Pearl Lagoon, in Orinoco, and in Bluefields. Selecting a career
in agroforestry betters the community’s chances of conserving and, in some
cases rejuvenating, the natural environment.
Schools teach children about environmental protection
and good environmental hygiene. Students learn innovative ways of reusing materials
such as plastic bottles, plastic bags, and aluminum cans.
Community members try to keep their neighborhoods
well-tended and free of trash. Working together, they clean public spaces:
cutting grass, trimming trees, raking, and collecting trash. Trash is buried or
burned regularly (perhaps not the best environmental practice, but given the
currently limited options, it is the best way to dispose of wastes that may
otherwise lead to illnesses such as dengue fever, malaria, hepatitis,
leptospirosis, leishmaniasis, diarrheal diseases, parasitic infections, scabies, tetanus, and skin
and eye infections.
This past Monday here in Pearl Lagoon, we celebrated Earth
Day with a festival that I am proud to say I helped to organize. All of the
activities in some way or other allowed us to appreciate our natural resources,
and raised awareness of our need to protect them. Working together – farmers,
fishermen, students, parents, health professionals, local and national
government officials, NGO staff members, volunteers, police officers,
faith-based leaders, teachers – this community may be able to bring Pearl
Lagoon back to what it was “long ago.”
