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=s —_ eo” BULK RATE Permit No. 17 Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands % @ ab Postage Paid oe Bf Form 3547 Requested COLLEGE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, CARIBBEAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE, ST. THOMAS, U.S.V.1. 00801 VOLUME IV, NUMBER 2 EDITED BY A.M. BROWN-COMMENT JUNE 1981 Administration UNPRECEDENTED PLANS FOR MARINE Dr, Norwell Harrigan, Director of the PARKS UNVEILED AT ECNAMP MEET Caribbean Research Institute (CRI) and Dr. Michael J. Canoy, Director of Ecological Research Center (ERC) participated in a conference held by the Eastern Caribbean Natural Area Management Program (ECNAMP) team. ECNAMP is associated with CRI on an experimental research /resources management cooperative basis. The conference treated the topic of marine parks in the British Virgin Islands and unprecedented plans were unveiled for their establishment. Participants at the professional level were repre- sentatives of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). Initial negotiations concerning CRI/ECNAMP relationship were conducted at the local level. During the conference Drs. Harrigan and Canoy were able to review CRI/ECNAMP's working for the past several months with both the field staff and the personnel of the University of Michigan which super- vises ECNAMP's projects. : CRI's position as explained to the group by Dr. Harrigan is threefold (1) to establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with other organizations working in the Eastern Caribbean; (2) the consideration of ECNAMP as the research and development arm of the Caribbean Conserva- tion Association (CCA), to be a suitable "agency" for cooperative work; (3) though both CRI and ECNAMP are now operating on an exchange of infor- mation as the basis of assisting each other, there is now a need to determine a MODUS OPERANDI for the establishment of joint research development programs or sub-contracting projects from one to the other between CCA (through ECNAMP) and CRI. With the cooperation of ECNAMP, Dr. Harrigan sees a place for productive work in the British Virgin Islands ll i and the U.S. Virgin Islands in regards to marine parks and a direct trans- lation of some of the ideas that came out of the conference to both island groups. Dr. Harrigan feels that the main problem facing the BVI, ECNAMP and CRI is financial and this is also the key to concretizing these ideas. The discussions were cordial and held out a promise of collaboration, funds permitting ECNAMP to survive. NEW ORLEANS SITE OF CORT The Annual CORT coordinators workshop WORKSHOP was held in New Orleans on May 20 —- 25 1981, and attended by the director of the Caribbean Research Institute. The main concern of the meeting was reports from the participating schools, general housekeeping matters, evaluation of the year's workshops and tentative planning for the next academic school year. One of Dr. Harrigan's observations from the meeting was that while most of the other participants could interpret "young" chronologically in respect of researchers, at CVI an interpretation must be made institution- ally. For this reason, while most of CVI's grantees may be senior in rank and research experience, the aim must be to build a research record for the college. One anxious note sounded at the workshop was possible reduction in fund- ing which could preclude the continuation of the present organizational structure. In this event, other mechanisms will be explored. Ecological Research Center AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY AID A project has begunin the Ecological IN LOCATING WATER SOURCES Research Center (ERC) to use remote sensing via aerial photography, to map persistent soil moisture as evidenced by subtle changes in the color of plants. Dr. Michael Canoy will carry out the work. This project is designed to determine whether or not maps can be con- structed to show aquifers, or areas of subsurface water, Each area map will consist of photographic overlays of different light spectra. By using color enhancement an attempt will be made to map areas where wells may be drilled to furnish water for drinking or irrigation, If the project works as anticipated a larger program will be developed to produce subsurface moisture maps for use by citizens, planners and developers. -5- RESEARCH ON HUMAN SERVICES Dr. Leonard Bliss, Research Associate IN VIRGIN ISLANDS COMPLETED at CRI, completed a practical guide to human services available in the v.I. He was the principal researcher on this project which was contracted by the Education Information Center of CVI, A survey was conducted to compile and identify institutions, agencies, organizations that provide occupational programs, counseling, referral and other related services that are available to residents of all three islands. The guide will be published and made available to the public in the very near future. SRC COORDINATOR Social Research Center Coordinator, IN HAVANA, CUBA Dr. Simon B. Jones-Hendrickson was invited to present a paper on the "New International Economic Order: An Excercise in Sisysphean Logic" to the 2nd Conference of the Association of Third World Economists (ATWE) in Havana, Cuba on April 25 - May 2nd. There were representatives from Africa, Asia, the Mid-Eastern Countries as well as from the European and Caribbean Countries. Dr. Jones-Hendrickson was also a guest of the Cuban government at the May Day Rally "El Dia de los Trabajeros," May l, 1981 in Havana, Outreach Activities AETE CONFERENCE IN BARBADOS The Caribbean Research Institute (CRI) was represented at the Conference on Adult Education Training and Employment sponsored by the International Council for Adult Education, by Dr. Norwell Harrigan, Director of CRI. The conference was hosted by the Caribbean Regional Council (CRC) on the island of Barbados on June 1 - 4. It was opened by the Honorable Cuthbert Joseph, Minister of Education and Culture, who delivered a message to the assemble from Dr. Kurleigh Kurt, Secretary-General of the CARICOM, Among others presenting papers were Dr. Douglas Hall, Professor of History, University of the West Indies and Professor, the Honorable Rex Nettleford, Director of Extra-Mural Studies, UWI. Dr. Harrigan presented a paper entitled "Towards a Theory of the Microstate: The Raran Model". The presentation was actually a summary of a summary of his original work on the subject due to the requirement that papers be only ten pages long. Dr. Harrigan prefaced his remarks by pointing out the attempt of the Caribbean Research Institute to popularize the term Micro- state in a move toward concretization of a model for small states. -4- will be conducted on individual wells, a recording of water levels in the wells at regualr intervals will be kept, rainfall measurements correlat- ing water level with rainfall and the study of soil moisture are some of the methods which will be used in this study. It will be carried out in cooperation with the physical plant department of CVI and will be expanded to include other areas of the island in the future. Social Research Center CSA CONFERENCE HOSTED The Caribbean Research Institute was BY CRI - CVI host to the 6th Annual Conference for the Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) held on May 27 - 30, 1981 on the St. Thomas campus of CVI and the Virgin Island Hotel Convention Center. The theme for this year's conference was "The Caribbean: An Agenda for the 1980's."' Program Chairman for the Conference was Dr. S. B. Jones-Hendrickson of CRI. Co-hosted by the College of the Virgin Islands and the V.I. Department of Education, the conference was attended by many distinguished persons of the Caribbean and the U.S. mainland, and participants numbered 350 with 25 panels. The sub- ject matter ranged from "Religious Development in the Caribbean," to "Political prospects and Problems in the Decade of the Eighties," with health, education, welfare and economy playing a big part in the discussions. The panelists were from various parts of the U.S. and all parts of the Caribbean. Dr. Vaughan Lewis, Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of the West Indies, Jamaica and President of CSA delivered the president's address to the assembly. Two plenary sessions were held and the body was addressed by Senator Gilbert Sprauve, Vice- President of the V.I. Legislature, Dr. Arthur A. Richards, President of CVI, Mr. Charles Turnbull, Commissioner of Education, U.S.V.I. and Dr. Norwell Harrigan, Director of CRI. The keynote address was given by Dr. Gordon K. Lewis, Professor of Political Science, University of Puerto Rico. Support in the community was widespread with numerous firms and businesses contributing. There was large coverage by the local press and the local public television system. Copies of papers presented at the Conference may be obtained by writing to Caribbean Research Institute, College of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, USVI 00801, or by calling (809) 774-9200 Ext. 249. Cost per copy U.S. $1.00. UNESCO MEETING The UNESCO meeting of "Interim Commit- IN BARBADOS tee on Social Science Needs and Priorities in the English-Speaking Caribbean and Surinam" was held at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados on June 9-11, 1981. Dr. S. B. Hendrickson, Coordinator of Social Research Center (SRC) was an invited guest. The primary purpose of the meeting was the discussion of features underlining the development of a Consortium Graduate School for the Applied Sciences in the English-Speaking Caribbean and Surinam. Dr. Jones-Hendrickson was nominated to be on the temporary steering committee which will undertake the selection of a director to the Consortium. “gs VIERS AND ERC AID PUBLIC SCHOOLS During the months of May and June, IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES several CVI and local public school groups in Environmental Studies were at VIERS. Significant interest was developed among the participating teachers and students. The upsnot of these sessions was the formation of an informal group to develop a local environmental studies curriculum based on local needs and interests and using local materials. The group consisting of CVI faculty, local school teachers and operating through the ERC will meet several times over the summer, The effort is coordinated by Ms, Linda Creque of Sibily School and technical aid is being given by the ERC director. A draft curriculum for a teaching unit and a resource unit is expected this fall and if it appears desirable a formal effort will be instituted in the Spring. ECOSYSTEM ENGINEERING Dr. Michael J. Canoy presented a VERY SUCCESSFUL paper on the Management and Utiliza- tion of Mangroves in the Caribbean at the 3rd National Conference on wetlands Management in Orlando, Florida in June. The paper indicated the importance of mangroves as protection for shorelines and in developing and maintaining fisheries. He discussed a newly developed process called Ecosystem Engineering by which "natural ecosystems are put together to form self-designing and self-maintaining systems that do jobs once requir- ing expensive technology." He put forward mangrove system engineering as one of the most successful and profitable programs with which he has worked. Canoy has been asked to put together a session for the next Caribbean Studies Association meeting on Natural Resources and their Management in the Caribbean. The meeting will be held in Jamaica next Spring. ‘Water Resources Research Center WATER I:.STITUTE DIRECTORS On April 2lst through the 23rd, MEET IW WASHINGTON Dr. Richard D, Champney was invited to attend the National Association of Water Institute Directors meeting held in Washington, D.C. Changes in funding philosophy in the new administration was the main topic of the meeting and new areas to explore for future funding in the event of changes by the administration were touched on during the talks, DETAILED STUDY OF WATERS SHEDS The director of Water Resources TO AID VIRGIN ISLANDS Research Center (WRRC) in his efforts to explore all possible sources of water in the VirginIsland and particularly in St. Thomas where water shortage problem is a constant worry, has initiated a detailed study of water sheds supplying CVI at the present time. The study's main thrust is to determine ways of increasing daily supply capability. Pump tests -6- While in Barbados, Dr. Harrigan met with Dr. Ronald Linsky of the Institute of Marine Affairs who displayed a great deal of interest in what CRI is doing in research in the islands. COORDINATOR APPOINTED The Honorable Juan Luis, Governor of TO LOCAL BOARD the USVI, has appointed Dr. Simon B. Jones-Hendrickson of CRI and a member of the USVI Historical Society to the Virgin Islands Historical Records Advisory Board for the May '81 - May '82 year, The board's primary function is to evaluate, revamp and assess all materials which relate to the historical and cultural features of the people of the USVI. STAFF MEMBER GIVES The commencement address to the COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS ‘ graduates of the Teacher Training College in St. Kitts was given by Dr. Simon B. Jones-Hendrickson, Coordinator of Social Research Center of CRI. He cautioned the seventy-eight graduates on the need of teachers in the Caribbean to rethink their commitment to themselves, their country and the region. He urged them to be "Creators of circumstances, not creatures of circumstances."