July 19, 2021
In
Hello dear hummingbird,
For this summer…or rather these long vacations (because in the Antilles, there is no summer 😉), I returned to Martinique to recharge my batteries with my loved ones after a year and a half without seeing them. It feels so good!
Of course, I take advantage of it, as I do every time I come on vacation, to explore new nuggets. Last Wednesday, I went to the town of Robert for a day on the islets.
The slightly overcast weather at the start of the day – yes… a few days before, we had experienced a nice storm 😲 – gave way to a blue sky and a piercing sun, albeit mild, during the rest of the getaway. There were 8 of us on board our boat and I was the only native, which caught my attention a little… but we will come back to that. Our skipper, very friendly, gave us a little briefing on the actions to take at sea, both for our own safety and that of the ecosystems that we were going to observe. He knew how to put us at ease, so much so that he allowed us to maneuver the boat. On the program, navigation among the different islets, stop at the islet Madame for a little swim, a little snorkeling, a little aperitif and a good lunch cooked with love by a local. Then back on the boat to head for Chancel Islet where we were going to receive a short history and biology lesson.
I was pleasantly surprised by this part of the excursion because although I was the only native, I realized that there were quite a few things I didn't know! It's never too late to learn about your native island 😆!
After this long introduction, here are 5 of the things I took away from this visit to Chancel Islet.
L'Chancel Islet, of his 2 km on 0.9 km, is the largest islet of the Martinique. Formerly Monsieur's Islet, it was renamed Ramville Islet after its acquisition by Dubuc de Ramville. Since its purchase in 1891 by Mr. Lagrange-Chancel, it has been named Chancel Islet. It preserves the remains of a sugar plantation, destroyed during a cyclone. The plantation on the islet of Chancel was one of the only Martinique plantations that combined a triple activity in the 18th century: sugar plantation, boilermaking and pottery. The pottery site extends along the seafront, on the west side of the islet. Many remains of walls, pipes and ovens are visible.
With a privileged geographical location in the trade winds, it constitutes a refuge for large migratory and marine birds such as the Fish Eagle or Eaglet. Its short distance from the Martinique coast also makes it a refuge, not only for Bats, but especially for the endemic Iguana of the Lesser Antilles (Iguana delicatissima), which is in danger of extinction in all the Lesser Antilles, which is now only found in the forests of Prêcheur, Grand Rivière and in the forests of Morne Jacob. and which on the islet, has a population of several hundred individuals. The vegetation currently consists mainly of Pear trees (Tabebuia heterophylla) and Manchineel trees.
The Lesser Antillean iguana, locally called iguana country (Delicate Iguana) is a critically endangered species (IUCN), protected and endemic to the Lesser Antilles. Due to its significant ecological and heritage value, this iguana is the subject of a National Action Plan (NAP) whose objectives are to improve knowledge about the species, raise awareness of its protection and implement conservation actions.
The common iguana, locally called striped iguana (Iguana iguana) was introduced by man from Guyana to the islands of the Guadeloupe archipelago at the end of the 19th century, then to Martinique in the 1960s. At present, it remains by far the main threat to the long-term survival of the Lesser Antillean iguana and is the cause of much damage in the territory. This is why it has been classified as an Invasive Exotic Species and is the subject of a Control Plan so that its populations are regulated.
The differences between these two species are both genetic and morphological. Despite this, The two species can hybridize and their offspring are fertile, leading to dominance of the common iguana gene pool and accelerating the disappearance of the peyi iguana.. It is therefore essential to know how to differentiate them.
The site is surrounded by two large lime kilns, built near the sea to facilitate their feeding and to be able to slake the lime when it was cooked. The western one has a circular staircase providing access to the mouth of the kiln where the limestone and fuel were loaded. The eastern one, quadrangular in shape, has a ramp in good condition. lime kilns produced the lime needed for sugar preparation and construction. The lime was obtained by burning the shells and corals that were numerous around the islet.
In Martinique, lime, a miracle material, was vital for the colony's fledgling economy. An effective input, it was used on the first exploited plots. For buildings, it was used to create mortars and coatings, which were essential for the settlement of the future society. Later, it became essential in the manufacture of sugar, a key activity in this new jewel of the royal overseas territories. Built directly on dwellings, lime kilns accompanied their initial development. From the 18th century onwards, production was concentrated on dedicated sites, the chauffourneries.
I invite you to take this tour to hear a slightly darker version of the use of lime at the time.
Many of us have already seen (or heard of) the breathtaking Zamana of the Céron habitation in the commune of Le Prêcheur. And for good reason, this tree, over 300 years old, was voted the most beautiful tree in France in 2016. Well, there is also one on the islet Chancel! The zamana of the park of the Céron habitation (a former sugar plantation created in the 17th century), is listed as one of the largest trees in the Lesser Antilles. A protective tree that benefits from indulgence from the elements: it has survived all the cyclones as well as the deadly volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902. The zamana, or rain tree, was once used to shelter coffee and cocoa plantations. In bad weather, its leaves close to let rainwater infiltrate the soil and irrigate its roots (such a large tree needs water!). Conversely, when the sun is hot, the tree's foliage forms a natural barrier against the rays, allowing the soil to be in the shade and keep its moisture. It takes advantage of this to capture the light. Nature is well made after all!
Fun fact: It takes almost 10 people holding hands to go around its solid trunk, which is over 2.50m in diameter.
Another rather original specimen can be found on Chancel Islet: the cursed fig tree.
THE cursed fig tree is a Ficus citrifolia. (Ficus is the Latin name for fig, Ficus is the genus; the family is Moraceae. There are 750 species of Ficus in the botanical kingdom, the cursed fig tree is one among others). It is one of the strangler fig trees (vernacular name, i.e. given to a group of species). If this fig tree is said to be a strangler, it is for a good reason: its stifling development system. Indeed, the strangler fig tree has a tendency to smother other trees to grow and feed on them. It imprisons them until they die, rot and produce humus that will serve to nourish its own growth. In Martinique, the cursed fig tree is considered both magical and evil. Magical because:
Evil because:
There you go! We of course saw a lot of other things during our visit but I couldn't talk about everything in one article. You know what you have to do 😉.
Besides, if I told you that this excursion was feasible in eco-responsible boat, Would that be another argument for you to do it?
Tell me in the comments…
See you soon,
Lina
📚
http://www.martinique.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/FICHE25_cle24dc5b.pdf
http://www.martinique.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/iguanes-a1417.html
https://www.ticanots.com/blog/photos/four-a-chaux-restaure_gp3526695.html
https://www.treeoftheyear.org/Previous-Years/2017/Albizie-v-Ceronskem-parku?lang=fr-FR
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FR
There are Robertins who say “Le Robert, capital city”… It’s true that there are beautiful things but they are a bit overdoing it. 😁
Well, I won't comment on that!! 🤣🤣 Let's not start wars, dear Dom