PAM Workshop Equips Forestry Officers with Skills and Technology to Monitor SVG’s Wildlife
A four (4) day training workshop on Module one (1) for the Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) for St. Vincent Parrot and other wildlife was held at the Bureau of Standards Conference Room. This training session was designed to train officers within the Forestry Department in Passive Acoustic Monitoring – a non-invasive method ideal for studying wildlife in SVG, with a focus on the endangered St. Vincent Parrot (Amazona Guildingii).
The workshop’s primary aim was to train participants in deploying AudioMoth devices and analyzing acoustic data, enabling them to monitor wildlife more effectively. This technology offers significant advantages by allowing forestry officers to detect parrots in their natural habitats without disturbing them. By learning to deploy AudioMoth devices and analyze acoustic data, officers will be equipped to identify critical parrot habitats—such as sleeping, foraging, and breeding areas— that require protection. Additionally, the skills learnt are applicable to monitoring other vocalizing species in future conservation efforts.
Practical sessions to deploy monitors and use GPS for site location and marking were held in Spring Village and Richmond on Thursday, 7th November 2024 and Congo Valley and Jennings Valley on Friday 8th November 2024.
Module 2 of the workshop will be carried out in 2025 and will emphasize analyzing the acoustic data collected to understand parrot habitat use.
