Field Notes
Geographic Consulting Signs USVI Tree Law Contract
Geographic Consulting signs USVI Tree Law Contract We are proud to announce we have signed a contract to write a comprehensive Tree Law for the US Virgin Islands. Geographic Consulting’s team of arborists has become the leading authority on roadside trees
detailsIntroduction to The Project Blog
The Project Blog Introduction This location is the source for updates and the latest information of new and on-going projects by Geographic Consulting LLC. Geographic Consulting provides a wide range of Environmental Services and conducts both large and small natural resources
detailsWELCOME To Geographic Consulting’s Sea Turtle Blog, from the Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge
Welcome to Geographic Consulting’s Turtle Blog. We conduct a sea turtle monitoring project at the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands that consists of nightly patrols to intercept nesting leatherbacks during the early summer months and
detailsLeatherback Sea Turtles! Blog post #1
5/2/2012 Leatherback Sea Turtle nesting season is now in full swing with an average of 5 adult, female Leatherback Sea Turtles nesting per night! The Sea Turtle Nesting Monitoring Team at Geographic Consulting is anticipating a busy season, and the crew
detailsHawksbill Turtle Arrives at Sandy Point.
June 4, 2012 It is June and leatherback season seems to have peaked, with averages still steady at about 5 Mamas per night. Just over a week ago, 10 turtles came up on Sandy Point in one night. A record for
detailsDawn turtles!
5/20/2012 Welcome turtle fans! Female leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) usually nest at night and “Dawn Turtles” are what sea turtle monitors call those females that arrive on the beach when the sun is starting to rise. They make technicians stay
detailsTropical Nursery Manual Now Available
We are pleased to announce the release of the much anticipated Tropical Nursery Manual from the USDA Forest Service. The full title of the publication is Tropical Nursery Manual: A Guide to Starting and Operating a Nursery for Native and Traditional Plants
detailsGeographic Consulting and USFWS host Nigel Marven on the beach
Geographic Consulting’s turtle crew had a fun time hosting Nigel Marven last week. Some of us were a little star struck by the Wildlife adventurer that first became famous during his time with the BBC Natural History Unit and now makes
detailsLeatherback Sea Turtle Nesting Season 2014, Underway at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge
The Leatherback sea turtle nesting season of 2014 is underway at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge. Night patrols began on April 1 this year and we have been so busy with start up and other projects that this is our first
detailsTropical Nursery Manual from USDA Forest Service on the Way
USDA Forest Service will publish the Tropical Nursery Manual next month. Forest Ecologist, Brian Daley of Geographic Consulting is a co-editor of the handbook, has co-authored the introduction and contributed photography. Dr. Daley has over 15 years experience propagating native trees in
detailsGeographic Consulting Field Crew “Releasing” a native tree planting at Salt River National Park
Geographic Consulting is working with National Parks Service this week doing one of the things we do best; Forest restoration and monitoring. In July, 2012 Geographic Consulting partnered with National Park Service and others at Salt River National Park in
detailsExcavating Leatherback Sea Turtle Nests
[The end of the turtle season was demanding on our schedules and other projects conspired to make this blog post fairly late.] Night patrols at the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge concluded for the season on July 31, 2013. In
detailsGround Breaking Ceremony at Estate Spanish Town Solar Project with WAPA and Toshiba
Today in Estate Spanish Town St. Croix, WAPA, Toshiba and their project partners took part in a public ground breaking ceremony. The open plot across the street from Diagio is the future site of over 14 acres of solar panels that
detailsConclusion of Leatherback Sea Turtle Night Patrols for 2013
It’s the middle of July which means that Geographic Consulting’s night patrols have come to an end for the 2013 season. Although there are still a few leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea) laying nests at Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge in St. Croix USVI, they are
detailsConclusion of Leatherback Sea Turtle Night Patrols for 2013
It’s the middle of July which means that Geographic Consulting’s night patrols have come to an end for the 2013 season. Although there are still a few leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea) laying nests at Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge in St. Croix USVI,
detailsInternesting Threats for Leatherbacks
The nesting season for leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea) at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge in St. Croix has been underway for three months. At this point, most of our turtles have nested at Sandy Point multiple times. Some turtles that have nested seven
detailsBeach Dynamics on Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge
Most sea turtle monitoring projects have several components of nightly beach work in common. These usually involve the identification and tagging of nesting turtles, collecting morphometric data, and marking and protecting nests. However, each project does things a little bit differently
detailsBusy Nights at Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge
Nights at the Sandy Point Wildlife Preserve in St. Croix have been busy lately with lots of leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting activities. Sea Turtle Biologists from Geographic Consulting have had quite a few nights with more than five nesting leatherbacks and
detailsGeographic Consulting partners with a a renewable energy company to survey endangered plants
Geographic Consulting has recently partnered with Tibbar Energy to further our survey and mapping activity on the federally endangered plants. Our previous work was summarized in this publication for the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources. This most recent
details25 Years of Nesting on Sandy Point
The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting season is finally in full swing. We have been seeing at least 3 nesting turtles per night and have had some nights with up to 5 turtles. We have also been surprised that not only
detailsGeographic Consulting Appears in the March USDA – NRCS newsletter
The USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service has just released the March, 2013 issue of their newsletter. Geographic Consulting and our work on assessing endangered plants of St. Croix get a nice mention on page 2. You can download a copy of
detailsPrinted Booklets on Exotic Invasive Species Have Arrived
Our printed booklets have arrived and look pretty good. They discuss the ecology of exotic invasive species and which species affect forest health in the US Virgin Islands. They are available for free download HERE. If you would like some of
details2013 Leatherback Sea Turtle Nesting Season Underway at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge
Well that long anticipated and exciting time has finally arrived! Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting season has officially begun on Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. That means Geographic Consulting’s blog entries will begin again.
detailsReport; Population Assessment of the Endangered St. Croix Ground Lizard (Ameiva polops), Protestant Cay
Geographic Consulting has completed and released their report on the Endangered St Croix Ground Lizard (Ameiva polops) population at Protestant Cay, St. Croix US Virgin Islands. The report was prepared for the US Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources,
detailsIntroducing Geographic Consulting’s newest addition; Hema Balkaran – Biology Research Analyst
It is my pleasure to introduce the newest member of the Geographic Consulting team. Hema Balkaran and I worked together when I was a Research Specialist at the University of the Virgin Islands and Hema was a student. She was always
detailsRapid Assessment of Endangered Plant Species, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
Ecologists at Geographic Consulting have completed field data collection on three populations of Buxus vahlii and one population of Catesbaea melanocarpa. All plants were marked with Trimble GPS units, flagged and tagged with numbered metal tags in our preliminary work. Accuracy tended to
detailsLeatherbacks, hawksbills, and greens!
July 6, 2012 It’s been a while since we’ve updated you all on the leatherback project. Good news is, all 3 species of sea turtle are nesting on Sandy Point: the leatherback, hawksbill, and green!! Leatherback activities have slowed dramatically, but
detailsPlant Conservation Task Force for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Our friend, Colin Clubbe of the Kew Botanical Garden has just posted a well written and informative summary of the recent Plant Conservation Workshop in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Please follow this link for the details http://www.kew.org/news/kew-blogs/ukots/plant-conservation-task-force.htm
detailsExotic Invasive Species of the US Virgin Islands; Forest Health
Each year invasive exotic species cause both billions of dollars in damage and the extinction of many native species. The threat of invasive organisms is considered the second greatest threat to global biodiversity, after only habitat loss. Geographic
detailsPuerto Rico and Virgin Islands Plant Conservation Workshop.
This week, Dr. Brian Daley of Geographic Consulting is attending a regional plant conversation conference sponsored by the US Forest Service in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Internationally renowned botanist and taxonomist, Pedro Acevedo provided a detailed description of the plant diversity and
detailsSt. Croix Tree Inventory and Hazard Tree Assessment; Preliminary Results
The casual observer may think the roadside tree population of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands would be rich in diversity because the island lies in the sub tropics. Geographic Consulting recently completed a two year project to assess the major roadside
detailsTree Planting for Forest Enrichment on Buck Island, USVI
Native Tree Planting on Buck Island The Geographic Consulting Tree Team had a great weekend with National Parks Service and dozens of volunteers on Buck Island. You can click here to read the Public Service Announcement from NPS explains some of
detailsVirgin Islands Community and Heritage Tree Law
I am very pleased to announce that a project we have been working on for years is one step closer to becoming a reality. The Virgin Islands Community and Heritage Tree Law is one step closer to passing and becoming part
detailsInvasive Rat Eradication on Islands
Geographic Consulting has long been a proponent of habitat restoration through the eradication of invasive species as well as re-introduction of the native plants and animals (like the St Croix ground Lizard). Rat eradication is one of my personal favorites because
detailsRapid Health Assessment of Mangroves in Coral Bay, St John
Geographic Consulting recently partnered with the Coral Bay Community Council of St john to complete a Rapid Health Assessment of the Mangrove Forests of Coral Bay. This was a significant project made more important in the post Hurricane Irma setting. Irma
detailsUrban and Community Forestry Grants Now Available for 2018
The 2018 grant cycle for Urban and Community Forestry Grants has begun at the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture. Organizations and agencies can apply for forestry projects up to $20,000. Follow the link for additional details. http://geographicconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/UCF-Grant-Cycle-News-Release-2018.pdf
detailsForest Restoration Underway at Salt River
We are pleased to share this Press Release from National Park Service regarding our collaborative forest restoration work at Salt River National Park. Since 2012, Geographic Consulting has been growing a wide diversity of native trees in our nursery and helping
details“Whats coming up?” The Native Tree Nursery Inventory – March, 2018
Geographic Consulting’s native tree nursery has a wonderfully diverse selection of native trees available right now in 3 sizes. Our ideal target size plant is 3-gallons, but we have smaller plants too. The vast majority of plants we produce are for
detailsPublic Notice to participate in the VIDPNR-CZM 309 Program Assessment
GOVERNMENT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES ————0———— DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND NATURAL RESOURCES No. 45 Estate Mars Hill, Frederiksted St. Croix, Virgin Islands 00840 Office of the Commissioner Telephone: (340) 773-1082 FAX: (340) 773-1716
detailsEnvironmental Baseline Assessment of the South Shore Industrial Complex of St. Croix, USVI
Last year Geographic Consulting conducted a mangrove forest habitat assessment along the south shore of St. Croix. We published a short blog post about the field work at the time. Our field team collected data along evenly distributed transects around the former
detailsHead cut repair: stabilizing and reforesting stream banks and bed in St. Croix
Geographic Consulting specializes in reforestation, erosion control and wetland restoration. We recently had the pleasure of helping fix one small piece of St. Croix. A gut (also known as an ephemeral stream) on the east end of St. Croix was eroding
detailsWhats Coming Up? Native Plant Seedlings November 2016
Our Native Plant Nursery has new plant species popping up every week. This brief update comes straight from our nursery benches to tell you what is germinating and what will be ready for outplanting next year. Castela erecta is called goatbush
detailsUVI, Department of Ag. and Brian Daley to host Arborist Workshop Monday
Brian Daley of Geographic Consulting will conduct an arborist workshop hosted by the University of the Virgin Islands and the VI Department of Agriculture. Tree pruning, propagation, and outplanting will be discussed. Admission is free [gview file=”http://geographicconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-Arborist-Workshop-Flyer-St.-Croix-2.pdf”]
detailsMangrove Forest Survey Underway
Geographic Consulting has partnered with several talented ecologists to conduct a mangrove forest survey and health assessment in select areas of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. The photos presented here are from our survey in Great Pond, St. Croix. Mangrove
detailsSea Turtle and Marine Mammal Surveys, St. Croix, USVI
Geographic Consulting is pleased to be part of a team of environmental professionals conducing marine surveys off shore of Christiansted. The observations and other data are intended to lead to the development of practices that minimize impacts to wildlife. The Virgin
detailsWAPA Begins LPG delivery to St. Croix Today, April 5, 2016
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority is scheduled to begin delivery of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to ST Croix today. Facilitating this process, Geographic Consulting is assisting with a project to monitor marine wildlife outside of Christiansted harbor in collaboration
detailsSummary of the 2015 Leatherback Sea Turtle Nesting at Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge, St. Croix, USVI
The 2015 leatherback sea turtle nesting season at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge in St. Croix concluded in August and we have since been analyzing data. We now know much more about the 2015 season at Sandy point. This informal report
detailsForest Enrichment with the University of the Virgin Islands at Sandy Point
Thus far, 2016 has seen us busy with field activities and growing trees in our nursery. I would like to take advantage of this rare office-day to share with you one of our last projects of 2015. Geographic Consulting finished off
detailsProducing Energy on Islands: Marooned
The industry publication, “POWER” published a story on generating power on islands and the challenges. Puerto Rico, and several pacific islands are featured. The US Virgin Island and WAPA are also featured and called “energy trailblazers” for their efforts to reduce
detailsReforesting Former Pastures in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
Geographic Consulting specializes in reforestation, forest restoration, and urban tree planting. Land formerly used for agriculture, that is no longer in production, can often become dominated by undesirable plants, or invasive species, such as casha (Acacia spp.), tan tan (Leucaena leucocephala),
detailsReforesting Former Pastures in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
Geographic Consulting specializes in tropical and Caribbean reforestation, forest restoration, and urban tree planting. Land formerly used for agriculture, that is no longer in production, can often become dominated by undesirable plants, or invasive species, such as casha (Acacia spp.), tan
detailsUpdated Turtle Nesting Numbers, as of May 18, 2015; Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge
Geographic Consulting’s Sea Turtle Project Manager, Jen Valiulis, has been updating some aspects of our 2015 turtle nesting database. Here, we present to you our corrected numbers so far this season (as of May 18, 2015). We have had 72 individual leatherback
detailsMonarch Butterflies in the US Virgin Islands
We became recently aware of some interesting, members of the St. Croix community. While working in the tree nursery, we first noticed some severe damage to some plants in the milkweed family. Caterpillars. A quick investigation made us put away the pesticide
detailsOne Month of Leatherback monitoring
One month has already gone by in this leatherback sea turtle nesting monitoring season in the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge in St. Croix. Many of our returning turtles are beginning to lay their 2nd and 3rd clutch! Here’s an update
detailsDawn Turtles with Duke University
This week we were happy to host the Sea Turtle Class from Duke University, along with Kelly Stewart, Marine Biologist with the NOAA Marine Turtle Genetics Program. The students and their instructors joined us on the Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge in St.
detailsEarly Success as Turtle Watch gets Under way in April, 2015
Last night’s Turtle Watch on Sandy Point with US Fish and Wildlife Service and Geographic Consulting was a success. Our group had just arrived and was settling in, when Turtle Watch visitor and friend, Lindsy Wagner, spotted a female coming out
detailsGeographic Consulting’s 2015 Leatherback Turtle Team Begins Night Patrols
Our 2015 team has successfully completed their field training and has begun full time night patrols. Saturation tagging of all nesting leatherback females will take place every night at the Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge for the rest
detailsSeminar, April 2 at UVI. Dr. Brian Roth: Return of the Chestnut.
Our Friend Dr. Brian Roth is now the Associate Director, Cooperative Forestry Research UnitSchool of Forest Resources, University of Maine. He will be visiting St. Croix nest week and giving a presentation on the recovery of the American Chestnut. An abstract appears
detailsSummary of the 2014 Leatherback Nesting Season
As the 2015 leatherback season at Sandy Point rapidly approaches, we would like to share this summary of some of the key findings from last season. 2014 Leatherback Nesting Summary, Sandy Point, St. Croix. In 2014, sea turtle biologists from Geographic
detailsThe First Nesting Leatherback of the Season Arrived at Sandy Point
The 2015 leatherback season at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge has begun! The first activity occurred on February 23rd. We’re looking forward to the season and keeping our fingers crossed for big numbers this year! Geographic Consulting’s sea turtle bioligists
detailsPreparing our 2015 Leatherback Team
We are fast approaching the start of the 2015 Leatherback nesting season and Geographic Consulting is putting together an enthusiastic and highly experienced research team. We are pleased to introduce the newest member of our team, Mollie Alter. We met Mollie while
detailsNRG Acquires Solar Facility in St. Croix
If you have passed by the solar facility in Estate Spanish Town lately( near Diagio), you know how quickly they are driving in the piles and installing the solar panels. We are proud that Geographic Consulting provided environmental services, and managed the
detailsChampion Leatherback Nesters
Each year about 80- 100 individual Leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) nest in Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge in St. Croix, USVI. On average, leatherback turtles lay about five nests in a single season, but there are turtles that come to
detailsPrint Copies of the Tropical Nursery Manual Arrived
This is a good week for deliveries at the office. Our printed copies of the Tropical Nursery Manual arrived from the US Forest Service ! Did you get yours yet? Did you order it? If you worked with Brian Daley on
detailsGeographic Consulting, LLC
PO Box 6530
Christiansted, VI 00823
bdaley@geographicconsulting.com/
Mobile: 340-277-7804
Fax: 866 436-6721
http://www.geographicconsulting.com/
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