A workshop held at Grande Riviere, on the North Coast of Trinidad, looked at the status, conservation and health of two critically–endangered species — the Trinidad piping-guan (Pipile pipile) known locally as the Pawi and the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). The participants were primarily members of four local communities — Grande Riviere, San Souci, Montevideo and Matelot — supplemented by members of staff of The University of the West Indies and others with particular knowledge of wildlife. The aim of the workshop was to bring together the practical experience of local people and the scientific studies of academics and research workers in order to promote the conservation of the piping-guan and the leatherback and to explore their contributions to Trinidadian society.

Originally, two separate workshops were planned. However, in discussions with local people it became clear that there was merit in covering the two species (piping-guan and leatherback turtle) together because (a) in some communities both species are important economically and often involve the same people (b) Kerry Waylen’s 2005 MSc study (“Turtles and Tourism, Perceptions and Pawi”) brought together thinking and beliefs about the two, and (c) a joint workshop was likely to prove more cost-effective and easy to organize than two separate ventures.

The workshop was held in the grounds of the Grande Riviere Tourism Information Centre, only a few metres from the beach where leatherback turtles nest and at the foot of the forested Northern Range where piping-guans still survive.

The Organising Committee for the Workshop consisted of Mr. Len Peters and Mr. Nicholas Alexander (Grande Riviere Tour Guides Association and Tourism Development Organisation), Professor John E. Cooper and Margaret E. Cooper (School of Veterinary Medicine, UWI) and Srishti Mohais, Alesha Naranjit and Kerrie Naranjit (Faculty of Life Sciences, UWI).

Day one was devoted to the Trinidad piping-guan. This species is recognized internationally as Trinidad’s only endemic bird. It is a member of the Galliformes, classified as a New World cracid. Dr. Philip McGowan, Director of the World Pheasant Association (WPA) based in UK, opened the proceedings with a presentation entitled “The importance of the Pawi (or Trinidad piping-guan).” He prefaced his talk with general information about the classification, distribution, status and importance of galliform birds and outlined the work of the World Pheasant Association, on an international basis, to conserve them.

The Trinidad piping-guan is of concern because it is one of only six critically endangered galliform species and even within that group it stands out as one of two that are particularly at risk of extinction. Its survival is considered essential by the WPA.

There followed a lecture by Dr. Howard Nelson, Chief Executive Officer and Conservation Manager of the Asa Wright Nature Centre who discussed “Research for recovery: a field-study agenda for the Trinidad piping-guan.” He likened the Pawi to a sick patient and used similar medical analogies to explain how such a species might be saved and successfully managed.

Following refreshments, during which participants were able to view literature and displays of equipment, two young Trinidadians (both members of the Pawi Study Group) presented overviews of their work. Naranjit talked about “Researching Pawi.” She outlined what had been achieved to date by the Pawi Study Group and others over the past three years and presented plans of what she hoped to do during 2007–2008 as part of an MPhil study on the species. Kristel-Marie Ramnath (Consultant Ethologist) then spoke on “The importance of Pawi behaviour.” She stressed the need to know more about how Pawi interact amongst themselves, with other species and within the environment where they live. She pointed out that such information could assist in management and conservation as well as helping to promote the health and welfare of these birds.

The final formal lecture of the morning “The Pawi — local perspectives and perceptions” was by Nicholas Alexander, one of the local organizers, who is an experienced ornithologist with extensive knowledge of the Pawi. The species is known by name to most local people and is a familiar bird to some. However, it is not regularly seen except in certain sites. Alexander’s talk prompted numerous questions and was followed by lively discussion about how communities might work with the PSG and others to save the Pawi.

After lunch participants were divided into groups for interactive and practical sessions. These covered two topics (a) ecological methods, and (b) studies on health and disease. Discussion of the first of these was led by Dr. McGowan, Naranjit and Parris. Tutors for the practical sessions on health and disease were Dr. Sham Bissessar, Dr. Wade Seukeran and Professor Cooper.

The first group debated how better the Pawi might be studied and how greater knowledge of the biology and behaviour of the bird should lead to improved methods for its conservation and management. The emphasis of the second group was rather different.

In that group, the tutors pointed out that concern about numbers of Pawi was not enough: for the species to survive, the population had to be healthy. Inbreeding might already threaten the viability of the population: infectious diseases, such as avian influenza, which might be transmitted by local free-ranging poultry, could prove disastrous. Participants were shown how to collect specimens from a bird for laboratory examination and they were able to examine feathers and faecal samples using hand lenses and a microscope.

Concurrently, pupils from the Grande Riviere School joined the workshop. They were introduced to the concepts of conservation by Alesha Naranjit (UWI), Walter Bunyan (Emperor Valley Zoo), Michael Parris (UWI) and Kristel Ramnath (Tenderheart Veterinary Services). They participated in games and other activities that helped explain the importance of species and habitat protection. Each pupil left at the end of the afternoon having learnt a great deal about wildlife and clasping a leaflet about the Pawi to read at home and to show their family.

On day two, the leatherback turtle was the topic of discussion but the theme was broadened, where appropriate, to cover related issues. In this context, Dr. Wade Seukeran (Tenderheart Veterinary Services), who chairs Trinidad’s Marine Mammal Stranding Response Network, talked about the Network and suggested that displaced or injured sea turtles might be incorporated into its remit.

Ken Fournillier (Asa Wright Nature Centre) was the first speaker on the leatherback. He provided a detailed and far-ranging introduction to this unique species’ biology and importance. This was followed by a presentation by Renwick Roberts, a fisherman and local conservationist from Matelot, who pointed out that turtles were often in conflict with humans, especially when they came into contact with nets and fishing lines. He suggested that one way of minimising such incidents would be to find alternative employment for local fishermen during the peak nesting season.

The theme of interactions and conflict was expanded by Lori Lee Lum (Institute of Marine Affairs, Trinidad) who spoke on “Threats to the Leatherback Turtle.” She drew attention to the dramatic decline of the species in recent years and explained that the “top five threats” to sea turtles were (a) accidental mortality through fisheries by-catch in longline fishing nets (b) direct harvesting of adults and eggs on nesting beaches (c) habitat alteration (d) pollution by plastic, tar, oil etc. (e) boat collisions. In discussion the role of disease was debated, particularly fibropapillomatosis, a disfiguring condition caused by a virus that affects some turtle species, especially if their immune system is depressed.

The final lecture of the morning was by Len Peters, the other local organizer, who talked about the leatherback at Grande Riviere. He outlined its behaviour and natural history but more particularly, in an impassioned plea to all those who live and work on the Northern Coast, stressed how the turtle can benefit — and, in some cases revitalize — local communities.

Once again, the afternoon was set aside for practical work. Professor Cooper introduced the session by discussing the plight of neonatal leatherbacks. A surprisingly high number either fail to emerge from the egg or, if they do hatch, never reach the sea. Why is this? It is possible that environmental factors, such as global warming, may be encouraging or causing infectious and non-infectious diseases? One way of investigating this hypothesis is to examine dead hatchlings and this is the focus of a project that is being carried out at UWI’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Following this introduction, participants divided into two groups and, under the guidance of Dr. Wade Seukeran and Professor Cooper, learned how to weigh, measure, examine and dissect a dead turtle prior to the taking of samples.

As on day one, participants were joined by pupils from the Grande Riviere School. The young people were able to see specimens of turtles, radiographs (X-rays) of hatchlings, literature and photographs and to watch the practical sessions.

This workshop, possibly the first of its kind, provided an opportunity for the conservation and management of two critically endangered species to be discussed in detail by local people and scientists. Judged from questionnaire returns, the two days were a great success, with a large number of participants expressing interest in attending further workshops and in collaborating in research that might benefit the Pawi, the leatherback turtle or the environment in which they live.