NEWS

Celebrating the International Day of Forests 2018

March 21st marks the global annual observance of the International Day of Forests.  This year, the theme of the observance is: Forests and Sustainable Cities. Locally, attention has been paid to the value of forest cover for the role it plays in maintaining our watersheds, reducing erosion, filtering the air, producing oxygen, creating habitats for our wildlife and in general... sustaining life!

Forest management and propagation come into focus in these two blog articles, prepared by Ms Khadija Bourne of the Forestry Division.  Enjoy reading Championship Trees and Tree Hazard Ratings and remember to keep loving our forests and our TT trees!  #iloveTTtrees

Views and Reviews at Lessons Learned Workshop

Two weeks ago, the second annual "Lessons Learned Workshop" was hosted by the Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago project.  The workshop was attended by a wide range of stakeholders who are involved in the project.  They reviewed approaches being undertaken towards the project's goal and discussed mechanisms for taking the main gains of this initiative forward in their respective day-to-day operations.  Learn more about the two-day event at this link.

Livelihood Study completed for Matura National Park

Over the period July - August 2017, a Livelihood Assessment Study was undertaken in communities surrounding the Matura Forest and Coastal Zone Pilot Protected Area (PPA). 

The study was an activity requested by the Subcommittee for this PPA under the "Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago" project and sought to determine how people who live in these communities are currently engaging with the protected area in livelihood activities, as well as what are feasible, sustainable livelihoods that can  be developed for this region that can also assist in management of the site.

In a two-part blog, principal researcher Dr. Veerle van den Eynden shares some of the main findings of the study.  The first part of the blog gives a snapshot of existing livelihood links to the PPA and can be found at this link. Part two of the blog provides information on the recommendations for sustainable livelihood development after review of key assets associated with the site and the surrounding communities and can be found at this link.  The complete report can be found at this link.

 

New Issue of ProtectEd newsletter

A new issue of ProtectEd, the biannual newsletter of the "Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago" project has been released. This new issue charts progress made in the project through  a round-up of the project activities undertaken throughout 2017.

Read and share at this link to keep up-to-date!  

Forest Officers take part in GPS-GIS Workshop

The "Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago" project together with the Institute of Marine Affairs and the Environmental Management Authority recently assisted in facilitating a GPS-GIS Workshop for officers of the Forestry Division.

Learn more about the activity at this link
.