This award provides support for a strategic planning effort for the Archbold Center located on the 92-hectare Springfield Plantation on the island of Dominica. The Plantation was a gift of John Archbold to Clemson University in 1989. The Plantation has been used for numerous research projects and classes in terrestrial, freshwater and marine biology. The station also houses a significant herbarium. The station will play a central role in the Archbold Tropical Research and Education Consortium (ATREC), which is being formed with members from Clemson and other institutions. The mission of ATREC is to facilitate research, education and training programs that promote the understanding and conservation of biodiversity in tropical terrestrial, fresh water and marine ecosystems. The station currently includes a main lodge with 5 bedrooms and dining facilities, an adjacent dormitory capable of housing 16 students, and other smaller buildings that can accommodate 6 - 7 visitors. NSF funds will be used to develop detailed five-year plans for renovations to existing structures with the immediate goal of improving laboratory, dormitory and kitchen space. The improvements will allow the development of the Archbold Center as a venue for workshops, conferences and symposia on conservation, biodiversity and tropical ecology. The Center also will serve as a focal point and resource for students and scientists from Domenica and other Caribbean countries.
