08/23/2024
Hello Ty and Colette,
With the help of the Iguanaland donation, Grupo Jaragua was able to buy a pickup truck. It is a Nissan Frontier (double traction, year 2020). The price was 1.6 million. Dominican Pesos (which amounts to approximately US$ 27,000).
The truck is mainly used for activities regarding restoration of iguana habitat. This year until present more than 120 hectares of degraded dry forest have been planted with 133,300 cacti cladodes. In addition to the Alpargata (Consolea moniliformis), which is considered the basic staple food item of Cyclura ricordii, additional cacti species have also been included in the planting, such as the Caguey (Leptocereus paniculatus) and the Rose of the South (Pereskia portulacifolia). The latter is a cacti species with leaves and non-succulent stems. It is endemic to the Lake Enriquillo area. The restoration team is also doing experiments trying to establish non cacti species, such as Almacigo (Bursera simaruba) and Lignum vitae (Guayacum officinalis). These species do need watering and protection from freely roaming goats, and therefore are more labor intensive and more difficult to establish in the degraded areas than cacti species, which are simply planted using cladodes or cuttings.
restoration team.jpg
planting alpargata cladodes.jpg
More than 100 persons of the local communities are involved in the planting activities.
Attached you can find photos of C. ricordii, the truck and the planting activities.
If you have any questions, need more information or have any suggestions, please let me know.
Sincerely
Ernst Rupp
