Conservation
Welchman Hall Gully not only contributes to Barbados’s cultural and natural history, The gully provides an ecological research space, a ‘living lab’ for conservation. Since 2009, The gully has been promoting flora conservation with a Native Plant Restoration Project.
Not only have native plants been restored at the gully, natives species not recorded are slowly being seen again when parts of the gully are cleared of invasive species.
However, fauna can now be added to the gully conservation efforts. In the summer of 2012 during the Back to Nature camps, campers found the world’s smallest snake, Leptotyphlops carlae, (found only in Barbados). Since then, the campers found several more.
These snakes are considered uncommon in Barbados and the gully can be considered a conservational area for their preservation. Additionally, with the changes in climate patterns, several changes in the plants have been observed. For example, trees not bearing for years, bearing at odd times etc. Further investigation would be desirable on a conservation level.
The Native Plant Project
Over-development of Barbados has put enormous pressure on the island’s flora and fauna. Natural habitats are disappearing, but Welchman Hall Gully provides a place of refuge for these endangered plants and animals.
There are about 650 species of flowering plants growing wild in Barbados, but only two of these are endemics, that is, found just in Barbados.
These are broom weed (phyllanthus andersonii) and metastelma barbadensa. Broom weed is found at the gully and elsewhere, but metastelma barbadensa (it doesn’t have a common name) has not been seen for at least 20 years.
Reviatlise Barbadian Flora
About 200 of the 650 species growing wild are in Welchman Hall Gully. A third of these are native – the rest have been introduced since colonisation.
The Native Plant Project was set up to revitalise Barbadian flora through conservation, education and research and was kick-started via a grant from the American Embassy in 2010.
The Ministry of Environment added further funds in 2013 and collection has begun in earnest.
(Pictured top left) Gardener Neil Gill, volunteer Ritchie Faulkner and gully director Debbie Branker dig in some native plants around the gully car park
The aim of the native plant project is to:
Reintroduce native plants into their original habitat
To preserve native plants
Develop and conservation of gully plants in situ
Create an area where scientific research can be carried out on native plants
Educate
Contribute to the preservation and conservation of gullies and gene pools of plants, highlighting the need of terrestrial protected areas
Establish a stock of native plants for use by gardeners and landscapers in order to help reintroduction.
Cuttings
About 20 vines, herbs and shrubs were cultivated from cuttings and seedlings as part of the Native Plant Project. They were planted in a sunny flower bed around the car park of the gully.
A second section inside the gully has been reserved for other wild plants found on the island which require less sun and more shade.
In 2015 a group of university students took cuttings from plants found in Turner’s Hall Wood. Many of these cuttings were successfully grown and when ready will be transplanted to the gully.
More island-wide collections are planned.
Fauna At The Gully
From millipedes, tiny snakes to the world’s most intelligent bird, there is plenty of fauna at the Gully.
Butterflies & Birds
As a direct result of prorogating and returning native plants to Welchman Hall Gully, there has been an increase of butterflies and birds.
One butterfly that has made it home at Welchman Hall Gully has been the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Indian Root (Asclepias curassavica) was planted at Welchman Hall Gully over a year ago, shortly after that Monarchs started arriving.
Green Backed Herons
Welchman Hall Gully is also home to a pair of green backed herons. They can often be seen around the area of nutmeg grove, about halfway down the gully path, or near the pond, looking for fish. It has a very disctinctive call – a bit like an agitated chicken!
It is known locally as a gaulin and is thought to be one of the most intelligent of animals – it’s been seen using bait to catch fish!
Hummingbirds, the Gray Kingbird and the ubiquitous black bird are also regularly seen around the gully.
Snakes
Leptotyphlops bilineata is the smallest snake in the world. It is blind, worm like and secretive.
It grows to no more than 3 ½ inches (9 cm). It eats insect larvae and terminates. It is harmless. The blind snakes are hard to find but not uncommon. When we get a lot of rain, they are washed out from under cover and seen more often.
There were two other small grass snakes recorded here, but sadly they were wiped out with the introduction of the mongoose.
Hummingbirds
Two species of hummingbirds are found here. The Green Throated Carib Sericotes holosericus, which is larger than the Antillean Crested Hummingbird Orthorhyncus cristatus. Both species and fly backwards and hover.
The green throated humming bird is mainly green in colour with a curved bill.
The Antillean Crested Hummingbird is also green but its bill is straight and the male’s head is distinctly crested. When the Pomerac (Syzygium malaccensis) number six in the booklet is in flower, check the canopy and you will see lots of hummingbirds filtering about collecting nector.