Mount Hartman

Overview

Mount Hartman is one of Grenada’s most important conservation landscapes. Situated on the island’s southern coast, it combines mangrove wetlands, dry forest, and rocky shoreline into a single mosaic of habitats. The site is widely recognized as the stronghold of the Critically Endangered Grenada Dove, Grenada’s national bird. While recent monitoring did not detect the dove within the wetland itself, calls have historically been heard from the headland and dry forest directly adjacent to the mangrove, underlining the importance of the wider area for this species.

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Alongside its dove habitat, Mount Hartman supports a wide array of resident and migratory birds, diverse mangrove stands, and a functioning coastal fish community. Conservation attention here has long focused on the Grenada Dove, but protecting the wetland is equally critical to maintaining shoreline resilience, supporting fisheries, and sustaining local biodiversity.

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Ecological Monitoring

Surveys conducted in 2020 confirmed the presence of all three mangrove species—red, black, and white. Red mangroves dominate the shoreline, creating dense root structures that provide shelter for fish and invertebrates, while black and white mangroves occur in smaller numbers slightly inland. These stands filter runoff and stabilize the coastal edge, forming the foundation of the wetland ecosystem.

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Bird counts carried out between January and May 2020 documented a rich mix of species. Resident birds included the Antillean Crested Hummingbird, Grenada Flycatcher, Bananaquit, Lesser Antillean Tanager, and Mangrove Cuckoo. Wetland species such as the Green Heron, Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron were also observed. Migratory visitors included Barn Swallow, Semipalmated Sandpiper, and Spotted Sandpiper, confirming the site’s role as a stopover for seasonal migrants. Although no Grenada Doves were detected within the wetland during these surveys, their calls have been recorded in the adjacent dry forest, emphasizing the broader ecological value of the Mount Hartman landscape.

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Fish surveys added further evidence of biodiversity. Species recorded included French Grunts, Mangrove Snapper, Schoolmaster Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper, and Atlantic Trumpetfish, along with smaller benthic feeders such as gobies and blennies. Predators like Great Barracuda and Scorpionfish were also present, indicating a functioning food web. These results confirm that the mangrove serves as a nursery ground and feeding area, linking the wetland directly to Grenada’s coastal fisheries.

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Chemical tests of mangrove leaves and lagoon water showed that the system is influenced by both freshwater runoff and tidal inflow, underscoring its role as a transition zone between land and sea.

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Archaeological Context

While no confirmed archaeological sites are located within the mangrove itself, surveys by Dr. Jonathan Hanna record multiple pre-Columbian sites in the surrounding southern coast. These nearby sites include fragments of pottery and other evidence of settlement dating back more than a thousand years. This suggests that Amerindian communities once lived and traveled through the broader Mount Hartman area, making use of its coastal resources for food, water, and shelter.

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For more detail on the archaeological record, see: grenadaarchaeology.com.

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Conservation Significance

Mount Hartman is central to Grenada’s conservation strategy. Protecting its mangroves and adjacent dry forest helps sustain the Critically Endangered Grenada Dove, supports coastal resilience against storms and erosion, and maintains biodiversity from fish and crabs in the wetlands to hummingbirds and herons in the canopy. Continued monitoring, invasive species management, and habitat protection are essential to safeguarding this site for both Grenada’s wildlife and its people.