$4M French-funded bridge to Harpy Eagle nesting site at Warapoka commissioned

By Devina Samaroo

The jungle trek towards a popular Harpy Eagle nestling site at the 700-year-old community of Warapoka in Region One (Barima-Waini) is now made easier following the recent commission of a 480ft-long wooden bridge.
Named the “Troolie Hill Bridge”, this new piece of infrastructure – designed and built entirely by the villagers – was funded to the tune of $4,095,060 by the French Government under the Solidarity Fund for Indigenous Peoples (SFIP) and was implemented by the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA).
Harpy Eagles were first spotted in the community in 1998, according to resident tour guide and self-taught birder Newton Wilson. At the time, however, residents did not know the bird was the majestic Harpy Eagle.

Wilson explained that there are three known nests in the area.
“The first Harpy that we had, after we recognised that it was a Harpy, it stayed here about 20 years and then it moved. The second one, it stayed like about five years and then the nest fall off the tree, and then the third one, the Harpy stayed about one year and then it gone again.”
Harpy Eagles are considered one of the most powerful and largest raptors in the world, preying on animals like sloths and monkeys.
In fact, the community said its howler monkey population has seemingly decreased since the presence of the eagles.

Warapoka Tourism & Agriculture

The pristine jungle in Warapoka is also a habitat to about 190 species of birds such as the Yellow-Headed Caracara, Agami Heron, and a wide variety of parrots and macaws.
At the bridge commissioning ceremony, French Embassy representatives, Pierre Gaté expressed gratitude for being able to contribute meaningfully to the Indigenous community.
“[We’re] financing projects that are tangible and the results are right there…the community of Warapoka built this [bridge]…the project was commissioned for tourism purposes and it’s already serving farming and the whole community, and that is even better than what was initially planned,” Gaté stated.
Village Toshao Jaremy Boyal explained that tourism in the community is growing. Last year, about 90 tourists comprising mostly foreigners and school children, visited.

The bridge, he explained, will therefore make it more convenient for tourists to journey to the famous nesting site.
Boyal added that the village is in the process of further developing its tourism package to include traditional coffee-tasting and fishing experiences.
“It’s only recently we started to use powdered milk (in our coffee). We used to use coconut milk, and dry coconut, so that’s something we try to make our guests experience as well…normally what we would do is take the coffee and allow it to dry in the sun…Some people would add sugarcane juice to it as well…very organic and very tasty as well. That’s something we want to show our guests how we did it traditionally.”
In fact, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has been working with the village for the past five years in developing its tourism product, according to Senior Project Development Officer Clyde Edwards.
Meanwhile, in addition to boosting tourism, the bridge will serve the community’s agricultural needs.
“This is a swamp and for many years, farmers, who traversed this area would have a difficult time walking across the swamp on logs…farmers, women, and children who traverse this area to do their farming can now have an accident-free crossing,” Boyal outlined.

The Toshao explained that in the past, farmers had fallen with their produce whilst crossing the swamp.
“Just before this bridge finished, we had someone fall and injured their back…and they had to get medical attention,” he explained, emphasising that the bridge will significantly benefit the entire village.
“The average amount is twelve families who farm here presently so with that, roughly about 40 people who would benefit through farming here. Besides that, we have hundreds as well who would use this area to go and hunt and fish. So, the benefit for the village is very wide.”
The bridge was constructed by villagers in six weeks, with the only major challenge being the rainy weather.
It was built from resilient mora wood, which is the same material used to make dugout canoes, and therefore, it can withstand rainy weather.
Nevertheless, the Head of the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), Jean La Rose explained that the overall project entailed other components including the livelihood aspect.
“This project started with training…We worked with a group of four plus one people (the Toshao) to first, understand how to do proposal writing, how to do budgeting, then how to do reporting for the work that you do, and all of this took some time…”
La Rose further explained that this is the first time that the APA is doing livelihood projects and is pleased with the response from both the donors and beneficiaries. She noted that the communities have been asking for livelihood projects and when the APA was approached by the French Government to inform of the availability of funds, the opportunity was taken to facilitate those requests.
Other communities that benefitted from the initiative are neighbouring Kwebanna and Santa Rosa in Region One (Barima-Waini).

About Warapoka
A journey along the river of 99 turns can take visitors to Warapoka where adventure awaits, picture-perfect moments abound at every footstep, and hospitality knows no limits.
From the magnificent rock formations to the simplicity of the Indigenous village and the vast forested landscape, Warapoka is the perfect getaway from city life.
Aunty Irene Wilson, the eldest villager, shared her knowledge of the village during a conversation with this publication. The 76-year-old woman is a mother to 16 children, three of whom have already died; and nearly 100 grandchildren.
“The population of the village is over 600 now,” she explained. In fact, she noted that the village witnessed somewhat of an influx of Venezuelan Indigenous peoples who were seeking betterment, but while some have stayed in the community, many have left.
“They talk Warrau but you see when they talk Warrau, although I am a Warrau, I cannot understand their language because they’re talking very fluent Warrau, more than me. I does talk Warrau but my Warrau going slow.”
Warapoka was originally called Awaraboko after the first settlers of the community.
“The first family went here; they didn’t had name. At the front at the landing, it had a lot of awara trees, and they had no names so the husband decided to give his name after the awara trees and the wife, she named herself boko (Warrau word meaning beautiful). So, they started to call this place, the area where they lived, Awaraboko, after their names. So, after the missionaries come, years after, they couldn’t say “Awaraboko”, instead they say ‘Warapoka’,” Newton Wilson told this publication.