Nature guide to the CNMI’s flora, fauna

Naturalists of the CNMI, rejoice! There is a new resource for you to bring with you on your walks through the forest. Written by Scott Vogt and Laura Williams, the Common Flora and Fauna of the Mariana Islands is the first comprehensive nature guide to the CNMI’s flora and fauna, incorporating information about forest and migratory birds, reptiles and amphibians, crabs, mammals, and native trees. I caught up with Ms. Williams recently and asked her about the new book.

CoCo (CC): Thanks for taking the time to speak with me, Laura. Can you tell me a little bit about the book, and why you wrote it?

Laura Williams (LW): Oh, thank you, CoCo. Ever since I was a student at NMC, I have been frustrated with the lack of field guides available for the Marianas. There are a couple of books, like the Trees and Shrubs of the Marianas, that describe some species, but nothing comprehensive. When I started working at the Division of Fish and Wildlife, I realized that my co-worker Scott Vogt felt the same way, so we decided to do something about it, and six years later, here’s the book!

CC: Can you tell a bit more about how the book was developed?

LW: The book has been quite a labor of love. Scott and I have been working on it since 1999. It was a side project, and took up our weekends and evenings for years! We split up the responsibilities; I wrote and took photos of the vegetation, he did the mammals and reptiles, and we worked on the birds together. Actually, this is the first book that describes the reptiles and amphibians of the CNMI.

CC: So you two took all of the photos in the book?

LW: Yes, they are all original photos. It was sometimes really tough to get them, because some trees only flower once a year, so we would travel to Tinian or Rota when they were flowering. If the slides came back and they weren’t good, we’d have to keep the plant on the list and wait for another year! Also bird photos are very difficult because you can’t get near the birds easily, so you need specialized photographic equipment, and you have to sit very still for a long time in the forest.

CC: Wow, sounds like an awful lot of effort. But besides the photos, you’ve incorporated a lot of information about all of the animals. Can you tell our readers a bit more about what they’ll find in the book?

LW: The book begins with an introduction and a glossary, which defines (among other things) native, endemic, or introduced species, as well as threatened or endangered status. We discuss how species can arrive on islands, and describe the primary habitats here in the CNMI. Then, for each of the species we give the common name in English, the scientific name, and the Chamorro name, and we describe the organism and the habitat it lives in. We tell readers on which islands the species can be found. For the plants, we include information that would help people to distinguish between similar-looking species, such as leaf and flower characteristics. We’ve also included a special comment section where we share information, cultural significance, or a story or use that might be unique to that species.

CC: How did you get all that information?

LW: We compiled it from a number of different sources, and also drew on our experience. I have a master’s degree in Botany from Michigan State University, and that training gave me the skills to find and identify many of the native plants. I also worked in the Marianas with an environmental company when I was a student at NMC. I got my first start this way. In fact, it was through that experience and an internship at CRMO that I realized I wanted to go into biology as a professional. So, I’ve collected samples from all of the trees in the book, and used them for some of the descriptions. That was important because not all of the species had complete descriptions in the literature. We have also done surveys on nearly all of the islands in the Marianas, with the exception of Asuncion and Uracus, so we have firsthand experience about the ranges of the plants and animals, in addition to available scientific checklists.

CC: So how did you choose which species to include?

LW: In the case of the mammals, reptiles, and the forest birds, we included all species that are found in the CNMI. With the plants and migratory birds, we had to make some decisions. We included all of the common trees that are native to the CNMI, that people are likely to see on a hike through the jungle on any of the islands. It was difficult to choose which trees because each island’s forests are a little different. We will be looking forward to comments from readers on how useful they find the book. For the birds, there are too many migratory birds to include all of them. We decided to cover the most common birds that occur in the greatest numbers in areas where locals and visitors are apt to see them.

CC: So how do you hope that this book will be used?

LW: Well, we wrote it with the naturalist in mind. Locals, tourists, visiting scientists…anyone who wants to be able to figure out what is out there. It’s also being used in a couple of schools.

CC: So where can I pick up a copy?

LW: It’s for sale at Bestseller, at Fish and Tackle, and at Coffee Care. Sometime in August or September I’ll be doing a book signing at Bestseller in Guam and here on Saipan.

CC: Well, I’ll be sure to get myself a copy of your book! Thanks for your time, Laura.

LW: Thank you, CoCo.

(The voice of CoCo was provided this week by Qamar Schuyler, Coral Outreach Specialist for CRM, DEQ, and DFW. She can be reached at 664-8320 or by emailing Qamar.Schuyler@crm.gov.mp.)