The Haitian Initiative Seacology was organized to protect indigenous cultures and to conserve island ecosystems. Although most of Seacology's efforts have been directed to islands in the South Pacific, Seacology scientists have also been actively researching conservation initiatives in the Caribbean. For humanitarian reasons, Seacology has decided to focus its first Caribbean conservation efforts in the nation of Haiti. The Seacology Haitian Initiative is a new project which hopes to apply the proven Seacology method of conservation to the Caribbean nation of Haiti.
People are often surprised to hear of the biological diversity that still exists in the Caribbean.
In some Haitian forests, over thirty percent of the plants encountered are endemic and can be found nowhere else in the world, in spite of rapid and constant degradation. The island is home to many native parrots, bats, orchids, cacti, turtles, lizards, manatees, flamingoes and a variety of less widely known organisms. However, plagued by environmental and economic crisis, Haiti's remaining forests are under severe threat because in many areas they offer the only source of livelihood. These few areas are not likely to survive under the pressure of demand for cleared farm land, fuel, wood, timber and other forest products, unless conservation is closely allied with development. In La Serre, a village in the Plaine du Cul de Sac, farming and charcoal production served as the two major sources of income.