environment tobago newsletter - sept 2012 issue
DESCRIPTION
Quarterly newsletter put out by local NGO Environment TOBAGOTRANSCRIPT
Environment TOBAGO’s President gets National Award
E nvi ronment TO-
BAGO (ET) is a non-
government, non-profit, vol-
unteer organisation , not
subsidized by any one group,
corporation or government
body.
Founded in 1995, ET is a
proactive advocacy group that
campaigns against negative
environmental act ivit ies
throughout Tobago. We
achieve this through a variety
of community and environ-
mental outreach programmes.
Environment TOBAGO is
funded mainly through grants
and membership fees. These
funds go back into implement-
ing our projects. We are
grateful to all our sponsors
over the years and thank
them for their continued
support
W hat’s inside
ET’s News 1
Ecology Notes 15
Articles 16
Book Review 21
Community
Announcements 23
What’s Happening @ ET 24
Notes to contributors 26
September 2012 Environment TOBAGO
Mrs. Patricia Turpin has been a pioneer in environmental conservation for
forty years. Today, she continues to pursue her passions as an environmental steward
and a conscientious businesswoman. A naturalist at heart, she was raised in an iso-
lated valley in a forest reserve in Southern Trinidad, where her earliest memories are
of red howler monkeys calling in the surrounding jungle. Following her education in
Canada, Environmental advocacy came naturally and blossomed when she joined the
Turpin Legacy of environmental stewardship. Since the 1930’s, the Turpin’s have man-
aged their 1000 acre estate using integrated forestry principles founded on a passion
for environmental conservation. Mrs. Turpin continues this legacy in her ongoing
management of this watershed estate. Always drawn to the beauties of nature, Mrs.
Turpin and her family
have, for 40 years, facili-
tated and assisted in sci-
entific research under-
taken by many visiting
researchers to Northeast-
ern Tobago, including the
Smithsonian Institute
team studying Tobago’s
rich biodiversity. In her
role as manager of Man
O’ War cottages, Mrs. Turpin has expanded the philosophy of the Turpin estate by
providing a green refuge for visitors from around the world. She expanded her eco-
tourism work with a tour company that practising eco-tourism long before the phrase
became popular.
In 1996, Mrs. Turpin extended her role as an environmentalist when she
joined the newly formed NGO, Environment Tobago. Her work with this widely re-
spected organisation has steadily increased in importance over the years. As president
of the organisation since 2000, she has helped to shape Environment Tobago as a
trusted and valued voice for the environment in Tobago and the Caribbean in roles as
varied as education, advocacy, and research. Mrs. Turpin continues with her busy
schedule, advising on cabinet-appointed environmental policy committees, performing
her duties as a game warden and sitting as a director or chair for numerous organisa-
tions in the tourism and environmental sectors such as the Tobago Hotel and Tour-
ism Association, Caribbean Conservation Association, the GEF Civil Society Network
and the COPE-Council of Presidents of the Environment, T&T. Mrs. Turpin remains a
devoted and committed conservationist, seeking environmental justice as a lobbyist
for environmental legislation.
ET President Patricia Turpin receiving the Hummingbird Silver for
Environmental Conservation
September 2012
Editor:
Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal
Assistant Editor: Christopher K. Starr
Design & Layout:
Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal
Technical Support:
Jerome Ramsoondar
Enid Nobbee Contributors:
Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal
Christopher K. Starr
Bertrand Bhikkary
Ian Lambie Linda Hutchinson-
Jafar
Environment
TOBAGO
Photographs: Environment
TOBAGO
Board of Directors
2012-2014
President::
Patricia Turpin
Vice-President:
Bertrand Bhikkary
Secretary: Wendy Austin
Treasurer:
Shirley McKenna
Other Directors:
William Trim
Kai Trim Rupert McKenna
Fitz Phillips
Renee Gift
Geoffrey Lewis
Sean Clarke
Darren Daly Allan Sandy
Page 2 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
JUSTICE ANTHONY LUCKY TO VISIT TOBAGO
Justice Anthony Lucky, a member of the prestigious Germany-based Interna-
tional Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), visited Tobago in mid-August to give
two public lectures on a proper definition of the sea boundaries of Trinidad and To-
bago, and especially Tobago. There has been widespread interest in this issue among
Tobagonians, and Justice Lucky’s visit will be made under the auspices of the All-
Tobago Fisherfolk Association (ATFA), the Buccoo Reef Trust, and Environment To-
bago as part of their public education outreach.
The first lecture was held on Wednesday, August 15 at the Atrium, Lowlands
Mall, beginning at 5 p.m. and the second held the following day, August 16, at the Public
Library, Charlotteville, also beginning at 5 p.m. He met separately with ATFA in the
morning of August 16.
Justice Lucky was also interviewed by Radio Tambrin, and will be a guest on
the programme Your Point of View on Channel Five. A former Justice of Appeal of
Trinidad and Tobago, Justice Lucky has been a member of ITLOS since 2003. An ac-
knowledged international expert in the law of the sea, he is also President of the
Chamber for Marine Environment Disputes. He holds a law degree from the United
Kingdom and a Master’s in International Relations from the University of the West In-
dies.
Another Award for the ET Team
“A young woman with a passion for
environmental conservation,” is how Juliana
Antoine is described by her peers. It would be
difficult to find any other person that could
compare with her drive and fervour for the
correcting of environmental issues confronting
Tobago.
Juliana, has worked with the Environ-
mental NGO – Environment TOBAGO in dif-
ferent capacities for the last 4 years, she has
educated and delivered projects in recycling,
climate change, waste disposal and all issues
that effect this island as it seeks developed
status. She exudes confidence when speaking
with her peers, educating children, working
with government agencies and the EMA. She is
a dedicated and capable young lady. A re-
spected role model for youth in environmental
consciousness and preservation who demon-
strates an energetic and unflagging devotion to
sharing the wonders of the natural environ-
ment.
Juliana Antoine- ET Education Coordinator
receives National Youth award
in the Environment.
Page 3 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Bridge Strategy: The Path to Building a Zero Waste Community, the Ten
year Plan
Juliana Antoine – Education Coordinator (ET)
The stakeholder session for the Path to Building a Zero Waste Community
was held on Friday June 22, 2012 at the Scarborough Regional Hospital, Signal Hill. The
function began with a prayer by a member of staff of the Division of Social Services and
Public Health in the THA.
In his opening remarks, Dr V. Partapsingh, County Medical Officer of Health,
welcomed all and thanked them for their participation in the attempt to maintain To-
bago’s mantra of Clean, Green, Safe ad Serene. He spoke of the need to find alternative
and sustainable methods of waste disposal in Tobago and he welcomed the initiative of
the THA to adopt a Zero Waste mentality.
Pearline Nelson, Public Health Inspector III in the Public Health Department,
pointed out in her presentation, the need to get on board with the Zero Waste initia-
tive and gave an overview of the day’s proceedings. She then introduced Essie Parks,
Programme Officer II, Division of Health, who, in her piece, spoke of how they concep-
tualized the initiative for Tobago. Tobago, over the years, has become more affluent in
some parts, and as a result the demand for proper waste management systems has be-
come unavoidable. With tourism being the highest income earner for the island, there
is now the need to be on par with other island states in terms of our ability to deal
with and properly manage waste as a resource. The Studley Park Landfill, the lone one
on the island, is almost at capacity and all the waste that goes there is mostly commin-
gled. There are some that can be recycled, sold or reused again but there isn’t an inte-
grated facility that is operational to assist in the sorting of waste for reuse.
The feature presentation was done by Eric Lombardi, Executive Director of
Eco-Cycle in Colorado, U.S.A. He began by giving an overview of his company, Eco-
Cycle, a non- profit social enterprise, which was established in 1976. He employs 80
members of staff at his facility and earns more than $6mil US per year in recycling. He
spoke of how the Zero Waste Community can become a reality by outlining a 10 year
plan. The plan serves as a roadmap for how a community can transition from a world
dominated by waste disposal, using landfills, composting, reusing and the application of
waste reduction. There are many benefits to becoming a zero waste community. It can
create more jobs, better protect the environment and also expand the economy by
using waste as a resource instead of just disposing of it at the landfill. The 10 year plan
is structured into three phases with progressive community goals of achieving 50%,
70% and 90% materials recovery.
Phase one: The “access” years, years 1-4 aiming for 50% recovery and also cre-
ated to develop infrastructure and provide access to recycling facilities across all
sectors.
Phase two: The “participation” years, years 5-8 aiming for 70% recovery with the
goal of building participation in a source separation society and targeting hard to
recycle material streams.
Phase three: The “zero waste” years, years 9-10 aiming for 90% recovery whilst
trying to reduce per capita discard generation and phase “waste” items out of
the communities.
Page 4 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
This ten year plan offers a concrete and comprehensive approach to building new facili-
ties, expanding recovery in all sectors of society, and revising the local incentives if any.
In short, the way forward is to “Build, Educate and Regulate”. These changes will not
happen overnight and ten years is a realistic timeline for the THA to formulate and
pass legislation that will aid in this zero waste initiative. It will create green jobs,
strengthen local economies, if any, reduce pollution as a result of less incineration and
set a course towards a more sustainable economy. The Studley Park Landfill will then
need to built or renovated to incorporate six facilities that is of utmost importance to
seeing this initiative to succession. These are:
Materials Recovery Facility- for traditional recyclables such as paper, plastic glass
Organics Recovery Facility for composting and energy production (methane gas)
Construction, Demolition and Deconstruction facilities for recycling and reuse of
building materials
Centre for Hard to recycle materials to accommodate non- traditional recycling
such as electronics and textiles
Reuse and Repair facilities for the highest and best use before recycling
Zero Waste Transfer Station for “whatever’s left”
He went on to give suggestions as to what the THA can do go get the initiative
started and how they may be able to seek supplementary funding to get the facilities up
and running and the facility at Studley Park isn’t at capacity or fully functional.
He concluded by saying that the daily choice of what we choose to do with our
waste can set us on a path towards a more prosperous and sustainable future or it can
lead to resource wars, runaway climate change problems as well severe health issues.
He thanks all for participating and looked forward to constructive critiques and feed-
back in order to make Tobago’s vision for Zero Waste not just a dream but a reality.
National Committee for Social Responsibility in collaboration with the Trini-
dad and Tobago Bureau of Standards Chamber of Industry and Commerce
presents an awareness session on TTS/ISO 26000:2011,
Guidance on Social Responsibility
Juliana Antoine – Education Coordinator (ET)
An awareness session on the ISO Standard 26000:2011 was held on Tuesday
June 26, 2012 at the Works Lecture room, Shaw Park. With all protocols being ob-
served, the Chairman, Melanie Richards of the National Mirror Committee on Social
Responsibility welcomed all and thanked them for their presence in the day’s proceed-
ings. She then acknowledged and welcomed the members of the head table.
In his opening remarks, Mr Kenneth Winchester, Director of Information Tech-
nology in THA, representing Mr Ellis Burris, who was unable to attend, spoke of what
are corporate social responsibility and the role that each stakeholder should play in
making this standard one that is observed by all. He spoke of organizations becoming
more cognizant of the needs of being more socially responsible and thus the need for
this standard is one that is worth being considered to contribute to sustainable devel-
opment.
Page 5 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Mr David Wong, The Tobago representative of the Trinidad & Tobago Cham-
ber of Industry and Commerce in his presentation, spoke of the need to generate
awareness of the importance of the ISO 26000:2011 and how it benefits the private
sector. He stressed that organizations and companies have become more performance
related and as such there was the need for a standard. This is, in part, a reflection of
the growing recognition of the need to ensure social equity and good organizational
governance. Organizations around the world, and their stakeholders, have become in-
creasingly aware of the correlation between corporate social responsibility and sustain-
able development. Although the standard is voluntary, it is the hope that many compa-
nies and organizations will come on board, and see the need to be corporate and so-
cially responsible for and to the communities that they are in and serve.
The feature address was presented by Mr Bobby Andrews, who was repre-
senting Honourable Orville London, Chief Secretary of the THA, who was unable to
attend due to a prior engagement. In his remarks, he spoke of the need for all stake-
holders to abide by and to adopt the standard. THA being the largest employer on the
island, with a total of 51% of the workforce, sees their role as in important one as they
recognize that labour and community awareness is the way to go in adopting the stan-
dard. Mr Andrews did acknowledge that there are some shortcomings in the way the
standard is now as it was presented stressing that is it voluntary and that it gives com-
panies and organizations a reason not to implement the standard and to gain the po-
tential benefits that can be derived from the adaptation of the standard in their every-
day operations.
A brief overview and history of the TTS ISO 26000:2011 was then presented in
the form of a power point presentation by Mr Wade Inglesbirth, Technical Secretary of
the National Mirror Committee for Social Responsibility of the Trinidad and Tobago
Bureau of Standards. He began by telling of the time that it took to prepare the docu-
ment for publication. Consultations have been on-going for the better part of 10 years
and it was finally completed in November 2010. The standard came about after a meet-
ing was held in Trinidad in 2000 about the need for standard to monitor and evaluate
corporate social responsibility. He went on to add that the National Mirror Commit-
tee have divided stakeholders into categories to determine what needs that would
have. They are:
Government
Non-Governmental Organizations
Industries
Labour
Consumer
Service, Support, Research and others
The needs of all these stakeholders have proven to be very diverse and as a
result, he defined social responsibility as the responsibility of an organization for the
impact of its decisions and actions on society and the environment through transparent
and ethical behaviour that is:
Consistent with the sustainable development and the welfare of the society. This
takes into account the expectations of the stakeholders
Is in compliance with applicable law and is consistent with international norms of
behaviour is integrated throughout the organization.
Page 6 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
He went on to add that the key principles of Social Responsibility are:
Accountability- Organizations must be accountable for the actions and the im-
pact that it has on society and the environment.
Transparency- Companies must be transparent and be able to show how they
would have integrated the SR into their organization
Ethical Behaviour
Rule of Law
Respect for other stakeholders
International norms of behaviour (Human and Labour rights)
Human rights
If any organization were to become interested in adopting the ISO
26000:2011, he advised that they were to first recognize and engage their stake-
holders. Identify who they are and prioritize the core subjects that are relative to the
stakeholder. One could engage them either formally or informally either through a
seminar or advisory committee or create an interactive session with them so as to be
able to gauge their needs. He spoke of the benefits that can be derived if an organiza-
tion implements the standard. The perception and reality of an organizations perform-
ance on social responsibility can influence among other things a competitive advan-
tage, a stronger, more solid reputation, the ability to attract and retain workers or
members, the view of investors in the financial company that also recognize the stan-
dard as well as to create and foster a stronger relationship with other companies and
stakeholders in the community in which they operate.
In conclusion, he added that the standard is totally voluntary. At this time, it is
not intended for certification. The ISO 26000:2011 has been produced to assist or-
ganizations in addressing the issue of social responsibility. He went on to add that its
goal was to provoke a practical guidance related to operationalizing the SR by increas-
ing the confidence and satisfaction in organisations among customers and stakeholders
whilst proving to be consistent and not to be in conflict with existing documents and
treaties that are already being observed.
The final presenter was Mrs Mia Persad-Douglas of Footprints Eco Resort and
Spa. She spoke of how her company has incorporated the ISO 26000:2011 and the
benefits that she has gained as she is in the eco-tourism related industry. Her com-
pany has been recognized and has won awards for being socially responsible by being
mindful of the potential impact that their operations could have on the society from
which they operate as well as the people they serve.
Closing remarks were once again made by Melanie Richards. She thanked all
for attending and hoped that the ISO 26000:2011 would now be more understood
and has the potential to be adopted into organizations more easily. She spoke of the
need to have constant feedback through the National Mirror Committee for Social
Responsibility as well as the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Com-
merce to make the standard one that can be adopted by our governing bodies and
can go on to become a certifiable standard.
Page 7 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Environment TOBAGO’s 17th Annual General Meeting
Thursday July 26th, 2012.
Venue: P.R.D.I Conference Room, Cor. Of Main & Burnett Streets, Scarborough,
Tobago.
Executive Directors present:
Mrs. Patricia Turpin- President
Mr. Bertrand Bhikarry- Vice President
Mr. Geoffrey Lewis- Treasurer
Mrs. Wendy Austin-Secretary
Staff: Juliana Antoine and Gillian Walker
Excuses: Darren Henry and Hugh Baker
Directors and other members present:
Sean Clarke, Hugh Mc Kenna, Christine Turpin, Shirley Mc Kenna, Allan Sandy, Ray-
mond Ottley, Renee’ Gift, Marcus Gremli, Rupert Mc Kenna, Kai Trim, Ean Mackay,
Caroline Hardie, Darren Daly, Janet Parks, William Trim, Keith Gibson, Adana
Mahase-Gibson, Andy Roberts, Kai Trim, Fitzherbert Phillips.
Agenda:
1. Chairman’s Welcome
2. ET prayer
Field trip in Southwest Tobago with Minister of Tourism to
check on
Reports of sewage pollution
Page 8 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
3. Review and adoption of Minutes of 16th AGM-
4. President’s Report
5. Treasurer’s Report.
6. Review and Adoption of Audited reports of 2011.
7. Resolution for consideration by members:
8. “That Clause 8.10 and Clause 11.4 are two distinct and different
9. “Clauses- and not in opposition to each other”.
10. Demit of current BOD
11. Election of Officers
12. Congratulations and Closing Remarks
1. The Chairman’s Welcome
Mrs. Shirley Mc Kenna – The Chairman, welcomed all present to the 17th An-
nual General Meeting of Environment TOBAGO and called the meeting to order at
5:30pm.
Juliana Antoine –Education Coordinator Summary
Juliana firstly apologized for the technical difficulties that she was experiencing
with the laptop and said she had some slides representing education for the year to
show, but she will have to explain instead. She began by saying Environment TOBAGO
received some funding for projects for the year ended 2011. She also stated that one of
the projects had been recently concluded such as “The Keep A Clean Green School “.
The prize giving ceremony is scheduled for September 2012. Environment TOBAGO
also collaborated with Caribsave to do a community project on climate change adapta-
tion which started in May 2012 and ended in June 2012, it was a community based vul-
nerability assessment study dealing with the effects of climate change on the environ-
ment particularly in the Tourism and Fisheries sectors within the Pigeon Point to Ply-
mouth areas. She went on to discuss various aspects of the Education program in
schools and with groups (EMA and Biodiversity).
2. ET prayer
The ET Prayer was lead by the Chairman -Mrs. Shirley Mc Kenna
3. Review and Adoption of Minutes of the 16th AGM
Mrs. Patricia Turpin initiated the review and adoption of the minutes of the 2011 AGM.
Perusal of the last minutes was done by all present, page by page. No corrections or
changes were made. The minutes of the 16th AGM were then adopted by Rupert Mc
Kenna and seconded by Mrs. Shirley Mc Kenna. All present were in favor.
4. President’s Report
Mrs. Turpin, the President, again welcomed all present and proceeded to pre-
sent her annual report. The President began by stating that the message of conserva-
tion needs to be celebrated, publicize and support the many positive events and
changes in attitudes that are also taking place at the time and today we will do just that,
focus on the achievements of Environment TOBAGO and its members. The President
stated that this organization has been instrumental in the generation of government
policy (now law) in the areas of Forests, Protected Areas, Environmentally sensitive
areas and species, Climate change, Reforestation and Desertification. Mrs. Turpin fur-
ther stated that ET has been recently appointed the focal PT- Tobago for the MEA’s
Page 9 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
(Multilateral Environmental Agreements) the first being dealt with is Climate Change.
Mrs. Turpin explained that ET has been consulted on the management of Buc-
coo Reef Complex and EIA’’s for gas exploration e.g. with Centrica pipeline to Cove
Estate, and developed partnerships with the Green Fund project applicants(Garifuna)
related to renewable energy, carbon reduction, climate change adaption and mitigation
and integrated recycling of waste for Tobago. She stressed that ET education program
has been focusing on recycling of plastics and other waste material.
She reiterated that Environment TOBAGO is represented and are still mem-
bers of COPE- Council of Presidents of the Environment and Global Water Partner-
ship and ET members serve on BRMC –Buccoo Reef Management Committee and EIA
Committee with the EMA/DNRE. Mrs. Turpin stated that ET has partnered with the
US Embassy- AIS (Automatic Information Systems) Vessel project for Tobago, BTMC,
Garifuna Ltd to name a few.
Mrs. Turpin explained that the day to day administration of the organization
has been overseen by the executive of the BOD of ET and supported by the current
Education Coordinator – Juliana Antoine and the Administrative Assistant Gillian
Walker, she further explained that due to the improvement of ET’s financial status in
the last year, as of August 1st, 2012 an advertisement for a new Education Coordinator
will be placed in the newspaper and Juliana Antoine will fill the post of General Manger.
Financially, the funding ET received from Rockefeller Philanthropic Advisors and BHP
Billiton in 2011, left ET with a surplus of $194,500.00 and fund raising of approximately
$27,000.00TT and funding of $50,000.00TT from Caribsave for a climate related pro-
ject, it is forecasted that a further $127,000.00TT for the 2nd tranche of support from
BHP Billiton and $40, 00.00 from Dillon Consulting for another carbon/ tourism re-
lated project will add to it.
Mrs. Turpin stated that ET budget for 2012 was estimated in the vicinity of
$173,000.00TT and has several Green Fund projects in different application stages
presently. The Garifuna turbine energy project (approx. $9 mil TT) has been approved
by the Green Fund and ET hopes to receive word from the GF Unit as to when the
Ministry of Finance will release the funding. ET membership now stands at approx. 280
active members and 180 inactive members.
I n conclusion, she also congratulated ET’s Education Officer- Juliana Antoine on
her receipt of the National Award-“Youth in the Environment” from the Prime Minis-
ter’s Office. She thanked everyone for their support in the last two (2) years and
handed over to the treasurer.
5. Treasurer’s report.
The Chairman introduced the treasurer; Mr. Geoffrey Lewis, Mr. Lewis wel-
comed everyone and proceeded to present his report and went through the audited
financial statements. He explained that in the Income and Expenditure account, the in-
crease in ordinary activities (over $300,000 represented an increase in Income over
2010). He also stated that even though our Expenditure increased, we were able to
reduce recurrent expenditure. He further stated that in our Financial Report for the
year 2010 mention was made of funds expected in 2011 and he is pleased to note that
there has been a positive outlook for our financial position in 2011. A summary was
presented as follows-
Total Income $353,812.00
Total Expenditure $199,376.88
Advances $64,000.00 (liability)
Excess Income $154,435.00.
Page 10 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
He went on to add that the income situation is now on a more solid footing
and with the approval of the Green fund project by Government, we expect our in-
come situation to continue to improve this year. In conclusion he calculated that we
need $175,000.00 to carry us through for 2012 as projected in the 2012 estimations.
This will cover operating and administrative expenses separate from our projects.
The treasurer stated that this has allowed us to start and complete some of
our projects in and in order for ET to become more sustainable, more emphasis
should be placed on areas that will realize income for recurrent expenses. This can be
achieved by: Strategic Alliance Partnerships, Employment with a full time CEO (ET will
be hiring a manager for Sept), Massive Fund raising drives, Charging for services such as
consultations and CEC’s, Sponsorship and Massive marketing and promotions. Addi-
tionally, he implied that our organization had received funding from BHP Billiton to the
tune of $20,000.00US, RBC Royal Bank $10,000.00TT, Petrotrin 5000.00TT and we
also managed to gain funds through membership, consultancy services ( Caribsave pro-
ject) and sale of ET merchandise. A hearty “Thank You” is extended to these corpo-
rate sponsors for their continued support.
The treasurer thanked Mr. Jalsa of Jalsa & Mahadeo Chartered Accountants for
another year of excellent support and friendship to ET a no cost. He concluded by
thanking everyone who has supported ET and if there are any suggestions in mind, this
is the time to let us know. Financial reports was adopted my Mrs. Patricia Turpin and
second by Mr. Fitzherbert Phillips. Membership concurred
6. Resolution for consideration by members
“That Clause 8.10 and Clause 11.4 are two distinct and different
“Clauses- and not in opposition to each other”.
Mrs. Mc Kenna stated that the Financial Report shows a surplus in 2011 into 2012. She
also spoke of directors not doing their best because they were qualified and just being
remunerated or reimbursed for travel and petty expenses. She also spoke about the
need to have it changed to be able to remunerate to directors for their expertise. She
went on to clarify in the Bye law of 8.10 and 11.4 as ambiguous and that it needs to be
clarified.
She asked for those in favor to adopt. 16 supported 0 against. Resolution was
passed
NOTES: Mrs. Mc Kenna also raised a point about disclosure. A person can have a com-
pany and come to Environment TOBAGO however they have to disclose if they have
any interest in getting on other boards. Vice President, Bertrand Bhikarry stated that
Environment TOBAGO is becoming like a business and about in a year ET will have
problems with space because the rent is doubling. He also stressed on the importance
of directors to come on board and get down to business. Mrs. Mc Kenna spoke about
the need to have a NGO building, and suggested that ET should go into a “rent to
own” arrangement business because ET has grown considerably over the past year.
7. Demit of the Board of Directors.
At this time the Chairman thanked the Board of Directors for their service and then
proceeded to ask the board to step down. She then invited Mr. Raymond Ottley and
Mrs. Janet Parks, returning officers to the head table.
8. Election of Officers
Mr. Ottley began by explaining the election process to the membership and the order
in which the balloting would be done and explained the ballot process. He then asked
for the proxy votes (submitted by W. Austin and P. Turpin) to be submitted to the
Page 11 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
table. Ms. Juliana Antoine was asked to assist in the vote recording.
Nominations- President
Pat Turpin- Nominated by Fitzherbert Phillips and seconded by Mrs. Shirley
McKenna.
No other nominations
Nominations -Vice President
William Trim- declined.
Mr. Bertrand Bhikarry nominated by Mr. William Trim and seconded by Mrs.
Shirley Mc Kenna.
No other nominations
Nominations- Secretary
Wendy Austin Nominated by Mr. William Trim and seconded by Mrs. Patricia
Turpin
No other nominations
Nominations-Treasurer
Mr. Geoffrey Lewis was nominated by Mr. Fitzherbert Phillips and seconded by
Rupert McKenna
Mrs. Shirley Mc Kenna was nominated by Patricia Turpin and seconded by W. Aus-
tin
Mr. Rupert Mc Kenna asked that nominations cease and voting commenced by closed
ballot.
Members asked that the 2 candidates give a review of their qualifications for the post.
Voting papers were collected and votes counted. The voting results were 17 to
Mr. Geoffrey Lewis and 18 to Mrs. Shirley McKenna. Congratulations were
extended to Mrs. McKenna.
Nominations -Ordinary Directors
Ms. Renee’Gift - nominated by Mrs. Patricia Turpin and seconded by Mrs. Wendy
Austin
Mr. Fitzherbert Phillips- nominated by Mr. Geoffrey Lewis and seconded by Mrs.
Patricia Turpin.
Mr. Darren Daly - nominated by Mrs. Patricia Turpin and seconded Mr. Ean McKay.
Mr. Geoffrey Lewis - nominated by Mr. Fitzherbert Phillips and seconded by Mrs.
Wendy Austin.
Mr. Allan Sandy- nominated by Mrs. Shirley Mc Kenna and seconded by Mr. Hugh
McKenna.
Mr. Sean Clarke - nominated by Mrs. Wendy Austin and seconded by Mrs. Caro-
line Hardie.
Mr. William Trim- nominated by Mr. Rupert McKenna and seconded by Mr. Fitz-
herbert Phillips
Ms. Kai Trim -nominated by P. Turpin and seconded by B. Bhikarry
Mr.Rupert McKenna – nominated by Fitzherbert Phillips and seconded by W. Trim
William Trim asked that all nominations cease
7. Congratulations and Closing Remarks
Mr. Ottley extended his congratulations to the new Directors and stated that
there was a typo in the agenda. He also took the time to give a short presentation
about how our society is undisciplined and we should be far more aggressive as an or-
ganization. He also spoke about the need to sensitize our people to keep the rubbish in
Page 12 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Report on the first public consultation of CENTRICA North Sea oil pro-
posed exploratory drilling programme
Bertrand Bhikarry
The first public consultation was held at the Signal Hill Secondary School Audi-
torium on the 16th August, 2012 at 5.30 pm. Presenters included local representatives
from Centrica staff (Indu Sharma) and the EIA consultant (LarryTeeelucksingh). Present
too was a drilling expert (Rick Harrington).
The consultation got off on time with a brief introduction of Centrica’s Carib-
bean presence, beginning with details of asset partnerships held with other block op-
erators. Indu Sharma reassured the Tobago audience that Centrica’s outlook for in-
volvement revolved around long-term, community involvement and conformation to
law. The driller assured the audience when it came to his turn to speak that all interna-
tional standards for waste disposal (human or industrial) will be adhered to.
Larry Teelucksingh (Coastal Dynamics) gave a projection on the methods his
company will employ to gather information on; currents with regard to waste disposal,
ET Board of Directors for 2012 - 2014
the bins and our beaches are not clean because they are filled with garbage. He em-
phasized that we have a poor garbage collection system. He concluded by speaking
about the need to increase talks with the Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Associa-
tion and more focus should be placed on educating the 5th and 6th formers in Secon-
dary School about conservation and environmental issues in and around Tobago. He
then opened the floor for Mrs. Patricia Turpin, who proceeded to congratulate all the
new BOD and asked all members to join us for some refreshments.
Page 13 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
potential of disturbance to benthic fauna and pelagic life, and also to potential for dis-
ruption to local anthropogenic activities, focusing on the fisherfolk.
After the presentation questions were fielded from the audience. Pamela
Nicholson objected on the behalf of the people that this type of activity (drilling) was
not a desirable option. She stated the presence of an oil field (syngas) portends a bleak
outlook for tourism in rustic areas (Charlotteville). She further cast her apprehension
that there will be little obvious gain for the Tobago people. Other members of the au-
dience subsequently reiterated her concern, some asking for clearer identification of
areas where Tobago could participate in the downstream (such as culinary services for
the rigs).
The bulk of the question gravitated to the fishing sector’s repeated queries on
clarification on how they will access recompense for lost income because of the drill-
ships presence, and after that by the continuous presence of heavy marine traffic.
These questions were deemed (by Ms Sharma) as being outside the scope of the con-
sultation. However, with suggestions from Dr. Teelucksingh (Coastal Dynamics) the
fishers were advised to formally contact the EMA re: their potential for lifestyle disrup-
tion and therefore, remuneration.
Towards the end of the presentation, the representative from Environment
Tobago (Bertrand Bhikarry) dimmed the lights and as the amazed audience remained
rapt, he asked that the computer generated models which are being compiled for
emergency scenarios (oil spills, etc.) take into account that Zone NCMA-4 (an area
which has never had an oilfield presence) is subject to the harsh north winds and the
NW swells from the continental US about 60 days every year. That those phenomena
present a real threat to Tobago assets on its west coast. That with changing weather
patterns evolving, the propensity for even heavier weather is real.
The ET representative also (apologising for taking it off-topic) drew attention
the YET unopened NCMA-2 blocking the south of Tobago (off Trinidad’s east coast)
which places a gas/oil field on Tobago's doorstep – when the persistent Guyana current
is taken into consideration. In short, Paradise is to be bracketed in the oil sector.
The ET representative gave it as; better the discussion about threats to the
coasts of Tobago and other Antilles isles ( Grenada) be considered now, before an oil-
field become entrenched, and even as it does, that the negotiation for who responsibil-
ity in case of an accident (like BP’s Gulf epic) be taken into account. Shyly, the ET guy
also acknowledged that while such a question is outside of the remit of a EIA consulta-
tion which is primarily only seeking to drill exploratory wells, he wondered, If not now,
when?
In closing this report of an evening’s entertainment among his peers, the repre-
sentative asks that his NGO consider a high-level engagement with the authorities –
namely that several aspects of the push to monetize the ‘Tobago blocks’ be reconsid-
ered in the light of (a) threats to biodiversity, (b) food security by way of a diminished
fishery, (c) threats to a fledging tourism industry even now being refinanced or (d) and
the obvious lack of provision for gas reserves for the local population of the future.
ET may maintain too, that if any one of the above points ‘stick’, then there is
justification for dialogue on the feasibility of opening petro-fields (and other industrial
development projects) in and around Tobago.
Page 14 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
SECOND YOUTH FORUM ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Linda Hutchinson-Jafar
Earth Conscious Magazine
The second Youth Forum on Climate Change in Trinidad and Tobago themed
‘Empowering Our Youth for a Sustainable Society’ was held in early August at the Ball-
room, Crowne Plaza, Port of Spain.
Organised by the five-year old Earth Conscious magazine, a digital and web-
based publication, the Forum seeks to empower its participants and by extension, all
youth in Trinidad and Tobago, to take action – tangible, concrete steps to create a cul-
ture of development that is sustainable and that can enhance the lives of everyone in
our society.
“Such development must happen at all levels, but the responsibility to make it
happen belongs to each of us individually, and all action, therefore, must be initiated at
the personal level,” said Linda Hutchinson-Jafar, the Editor of Earth Conscious maga-
zine.
With this in mind, the Forum supports these three key objectives:
To build awareness among youth on issues of the environment and climate
change;
To foster a generation of leadership in sustainable development and climate
change adaptation; and
To encourage environmental action.
Hutchinson-Jafar said the Forum encourages young people to be the agents of
change in Trinidad and Tobago, in the Caribbean and in the world. “Youth have the
most invested in the future of a healthy and sustainable earth,” she added.
She noted that thousands of young people globally are already engaged in cli-
mate change and environmental degradation issues, recognising that if they are not part
of the solution, they will inherit an earth ravaged by the effects of climate change.
“Acknowledging their responsibility as stakeholders of this earth, youth groups
throughout regions of the world are adding their voices to climate change policy and to
environmental issues. Their voices are becoming louder and leaders worldwide are
sitting up and taking notice,” Hutchinson-Jafar asserted.
The opening session of the 2nd Youth Forum on Climate Change, chaired by
Mr. Garfield King included an address by Ms.Ramona Ramdial, Minister of State in the
Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.
From left: Some of the participants, including editor of ET newsletter (centre photo) and some youth
panellists.
Page 15 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Ecological land classification
Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal
Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies
One of the challenges of getting to know any field of study is the language or
jargon. In ecology this poses quite a challenge with respect to describing the areas un-
der study especially when they all start with the prefix “eco”. In ecology land is placed
into five categories. Here I will start with the largest area and work down to the small-
est.
The largest is referred to as the ecosphere. The first category is an ecozone
refers to large areas on the planet’s surface where organisms have been able to evolve
in relative isolation mostly due to being separated by geographic features like deserts,
mountain ranges and oceans. So the Neotropics is an example of an ecozone. This
leads to an ecoprovince which is a smaller area (at a sub-continental level) of uniform
climate and geological history and structure like mountain ranges and large valleys. Eco-
province contains few ecoregions which are smaller versions of an ecozone in that it is
geographically and ecologically distinct. Ecoregions also contain distinct assemblages of
species and although broad, ecoregions are mainly distinguished by their climate. Con-
tained in ecoregions, are ecosites which are smaller areas whose definition is governed
by some local factors like physical characteristics such as vegetation. For example, a
pasture is an ecoregion, as it possesses a relatively uniform climate. Changes like to-
pography and soil texture govern the development of ecosites. Finally there are
ecotopes are the smallest spatial unit in ecology also referred to as ecosystems and has
ecologically distinct features for two or more years.
So the next time you read an article on ecology in the newspaper or on the
internet, do not let the words intimidate you from gaining more knowledge.
ECOLOGY NOTES
EMA Youth Environment Workshop
Photos highlighting ET’s work with youth over the years including the beach cleanups, the Clean
School Programme and Rainforest Education & Awareness Programme sponsored by BP. Not forget-ting that Tobago is not immune to pollution as seen in this photo of the Studley Park Landfill (bottom
row left)
Page 16 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
“Tobago may soon
choke on its own
waste. “
Waste as an issue
Bertrand Bhikarry
Environment TOBAGO
Fast forward to Tobago 2013. The political climate is active, the airwaves are
busy, and the population is heady with the buzz of an election and the expectation of
another Carnival. In the eyes of the people, it's high time some of the real issues were
put away. See? Savvy Tobagonians lining up behind the better manifesto, supporting the
party with a clearer promise to solve local problems.
Tobago 2012: Wishful thinking aside, Life is hard, and everyone is facing, carry-
ing their share of the difficulties. But in the wings, hope springs eternal, and the politi-
cians nurture those hopes with their promises. Since a political vehicle is judged by its
(professed) ability to give a ride to the largest part of the community as is possible, the
various party promises to help shoulder burdens are predictably grand. But putting
aside offerings of graft and pork – it's not within this column's purview to acknowledge
such things exist, the Tobago House of Assembly of 2013 – 2017 might really want to
fix the issue of the islands waste. To clarify, it's just municipal garbage being discussed
here, just as it's not the purview of this column to imply other kinds of wastage occur
in Tobago.
Municipal waste or MSW, is the stuff that ends up in the dump and the verges
of our Belladonna. In Tobago, the literality of MSW dumping has now been inculcated
far too deeply into local behavior to be removed in one generation, speaking realisti-
cally. The problem has reached a point where rubbish is assuming a life of its own. In a
very real sense, Tobago may soon choke on its own waste. Waste management there-
fore is an item that could occupy the prime spot on a party manifesto come the Elec-
tion.
Garbage is certainly not a glam topic, neither is constipation. But the similarity
cannot be denied, what with leachate from the dump pouring into Barbados Bay, Stud-
ley Park's poisonous dust sweeping across Tobago communities, and the landfill's invisi-
ble methane choking off the our life support. Adding insult to injury, Tobago's waste,
while not officially counted as a negative factor for tourism, must surely have soured a
few memories, looking at the mess objectively.
Fixing the rubbish problem is not rocket science. The logical approach would
seek a method to reduce the load on the existing landfill, magically consume newly gen-
erated MSW, and try to find a clean and productive way to use any by-product gener-
ated by the MSW management solution. Incineration comes to mind. Always frowned
upon, always delayed before it's adopted, incinerators remain the most prevalent waste
management tool globally. There will be the more elaborate proposals, some which
perhaps contend a beautifully theorized zero-waste paradigm. However until oily sludgy
waste, medical waste, biowaste, paper and plastic waste, electronic waste, and human
waste are covered. It is best to think BURN. Yes indeed. It is that simple.
The core elements for the clean burn for most of the Tobago MSW exist in
the fortuitous combination inadvertently provided by the National Gas Company's
Cove treatment plant, the unused factory space at Cove, and the need for steam re-
quired for a food processing industry in Tobago. In a very real sense therefore, the
catalyst for the much touted potential Tobago economy really does lie down at Cove.
But it's pulse will be the energy generated by the very waste which poses the problem
ARTICLES
for Tobago at present.
Popular community support for the burn solution does exist. Certainly enough
for any of the Tobago political parties to invest the time to look into the idea. One
can just see the election banners. 'Tangible solution, renewable energy, recycled waste
by-product, cleaner streets', etcetera. But then there is another reality that may im-
pinge on this dream. The fact that political parties do not need to solve issues to take
an election in this time of Tobago's history. What a waste.
Page 17 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Artificial leaves
Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal
Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies
When we think of artificial leaves, we often think of those plastic leaves used in
floral arrangements. But scientists have created practical artificial leaves my mimicking
photosynthesis which uses sunlight and water which it converts into energy. These arti-
ficial leaves work by splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen, the latter of which can
be used in fuel cells to generate electricity. Hydrogen is a good source of energy as it is
very abundant but it is often combined with oxygen in the form of water. Also the use
of solar energy rather than that derived from fossil fuels make this generation of hydro-
gen a renewable energy source. But the main advantage of these “leaves” is that they
can be used in remote areas and in regions where hydroelectric power is just not feasi-
ble, for example deserts.
However, the major drawback to the widespread use of this technology is the
high cost of production, which includes the use of a platinum catalyst to generate the
hydrogen gas. Therefore, in order to make them ore affordable, the platinum was re-
placed with a less expensive metal allow (nickel-molybdenum-zinc) on one side of the
leaf and a cobalt film on the other to generate the oxygen. Another material being in-
vestigated is iron oxide simply known as rust, as it also absorbs light and acts as a semi-
conductor. But, this technology has not been perfected to the point where it has be-
come so efficient that it meets the world’s energy demand.
They say that imitation is the best form of flattery! But one has to wonder if in
the future humans will rather depend on these artificial leaves rather than the real thing
to fuel our ecosystems.
Page 18 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Letter written by Ian Lambie-ET member Ira Mathur-Environmental issues
Dear Ira,
I had not seen your previous articles relative to the environment. However
the headline in the Trinidad Guardian of 30th August, 2012 caught my attention. Wel-
come to the environmental movement. We can use as many allies as possible. It is my
wish that journalists get educated on matters relative to the urgent need for sustainable
use of our country's renewable natural resources and the benefits to be derived from
proper land use planning and to desist from referring to persons who are striving and
urging for the sustainable use of our renewable natural resources as "Obstructionists to
Development"
The majority of these "Environmentalists" are volunteers who are concerned about
the continuing "rape" of our Environment and receive no financial benefits for their time
and their efforts.
It is imperative that we "Grow more Food".but there must be a National
Plan for the use of our very limited arable land space. Our country must have develop-
ment and progress but it must be planned, orderly and with a view to sustainabil-
ity. We just don't wake up one morning and say that we will construct aluminium
smelter plants . " And not a Man move"., except Dr. Peter Vine and Dr. Wayne
Kublalsingh, who have sacrificed their careers in objecting to the misuse of our
land. No other objections from professionals were heard.
I have been a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club since
1958 when the Club was the only organisation calling for the proper management of
our natural environment and our natural resources of land, water, forests and wildlife.
At that time "Sustainable Management" or " Sustainable Use" were not popular
terms and "environmental matters" were the concern of the Ministry of Health. To-
day environmental matters are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing. There is
no separate Ministry for the environment and one may interpret that environmental
matters, which are so important to our quality of life and to our standard of living, are
on the "back burner". I do agree with you that there is a "lack of concern for envi-
ronmental matters".
Even after the devastating flooding which first occurred in the Diego Martin Val-
ley in November 1961. Yes 1961 , Fifty years before November 2011 and with
it another round of havoc ,destruction , loss of property and suffering for the residents
of Maraval, Diego Martin, Petit Valley Glencoe , and Pt.Cumana, some of whom as so
poor that they will never be able to recover from their losses. And now we have the
floods of 2012. Even between 2011 and 2012 , the removal of forest cover and build-
ing construction on hillsides continued.
In 2011, Mr.Colm Imbert said that the flooding , landslides and destruction of
homes and other property in Maraval and in the Diego Martin Valley ,was caused by
"An Act of God" and in 2012 , Mr Jack Warner said that the Flooding, Landslides and
Destruction was caused by "An Act of God". What utter nonsense. I may be pre-
pared to forgive Mr. Warner who is ,or is it was, a sports administrator who may not
fully appreciate the importance of proper land use planning and management of our
natural environment, but I cannot forgive Mr. Imbert who is an engineer and who must
know from his training and many years of experience that the removal of forest cover
and other vegetation, the cutting and grading of hillsides and the construction of build-
ings on these hillsides will result in the rapid run-off of water when it rains , resulting in
flooding, landslides and the loss of property and of life.
I am amazed that both of these gentlemen expect us to believe that these incidents
Page 19 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
were not caused by the misuse and abuse of our land by respective Governments. "
Dey tink we chupid or what ?"
We have been focusing on recent flooding , devastation and loss of property
in the North-west of our country but we must not loose sight of the loss of property
including agricultural crops and the hardships being experienced annually by residents
in the low - lying areas of Central Trinidad. This is caused by the removal of forest
cover and the construction of buildings in the valleys of the Northern Range.
The residents of Arima should be prepared for the flooding , the devastation,
and the loss of property which will result from the extensive government-sanctioned
quarrying activities in the Arima Valley.
These disastrous situations arise because of the absence of a Physical Devel-
opment Plan and a Land Use Plan for our Country, and the powers of the Minis-
ter to reverse or negate the decisions of the Director of the Town and Country Plan-
ning Division and the Management of the Environmental Management
Agency. (Established by Act No.3 of 1995). This "Power of the Minister" is en-
shrined in the Town and Country Planning Act 29 of 1960, Section 11(3) and Section
12 (3) and this over-riding of the decisions of the Town and Country Planning Offi-
cers , who are qualified professionals in town planning, engineering, surveying and in
associated disciplines has been the practice of the various Ministers who legally have
the "final say" relative to the orderly development of land and the construction of
buildings.
Be it the PNM, NAR, UNC or PP governments, the respective Minister
has never failed to exercise his or her " Power" to reverse the decisions made by
the professionals of the Town and Country Planning Division or by the professionals of
the Environmental Management Authority relative to land use and to building construc-
tion.
When I looked at the military parade at the Queens Park Savannah on Inde-
pendence Day, I once again saw the ill-advised and illegal paving of a large part of the
Savannah to prevent mud from getting on the boots and shoes of the military person-
nel participating in these Parades.
The ill-advised action of Mr. Carlos John, an Insurance Executive, who was
responsible for the paving and Mr. Eden Shand, the environmentalist who put his life
at risk by sitting in front of a bulldozer which was in operation on the site, will always
be remembered by me.
The paving has caused flooding along Cipriani Boulevard during heavy rains and
possible loss of water percolating into the aquifer below the surface of the Savan-
nah. You should be aware that there are water wells on the Savannah which extract
water from this aquifer.
I remember when the then Minister for Works, Mr. Hector Mc Lean, an
attorney, dismissed his Quarries Advisory Committee comprised of professionals and
under the chairmanship of Mr. Ronald Williams an engineer , when they had ejected an
application from the contractor to cut the lands above the Lady Young Road , in order
to obtain "the fill" to be used on the widening of the Churchill Roosevelt Highway
through Valsayn. The Field Naturalists Club named the scar above the Lady Young
Road "The Mc Lean Monument".
I remember the then Minister Mrs. Carolyn Seepersad -Bachan who, by
the stroke of a pen, reversed the decision of the then Chairman of the EMA, the late
Professor Julian Kenny, who had refused the granting of permission for an increase in
quarrying activities in several parts of our Country,
As a result of her ill-advised action, "Jake " Kenny , my friend and my mentor of
Page 20 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
more than 30 years, resigned as the Chairman of the EMA. He must have died a very
unhappy man, possibly from a "broken heart" due to his inability to get the EMA mov-
ing in a positive direction. Professor Kenny, during his short term as Chairman of the
EMA, established a "Noise Pollution Committee", among other initiatives. Now that he
has "passed", I do hope that the Committee is operational. Many residents continue
to suffer "sleepless nights" due to "loud music" despite the promises made by the At-
torney General more than a year ago to address and to amend the relative laws and
to get the co-operation of the police in taking speedy action when a report of "loud
noise" is received.
Also to be remembered is the removal of forests and the clearing of lands by
the Government for the construction of a proposed aluminium smelter plant even
before the required Environmental Impact Assessment had been completed
and accepted by the EMA.
Ms. Molly Gaskin, an environmentalist, was assaulted by a Rice Farmer, when
at a meeting she protested against the "rape" of the Nariva Swamp for Rice Grow-
ing. The Nariva Swamp is a RAMSAR Site. The then representative for Ortoire /
Mayaro had urged the rice farmers to grow more rice in the Nariva Swamp. The envi-
ronmental damage which followed is yet to be rectified. I often wonder whether the
loans made to these rice farmers by the Agriculture Development Bank for the pur-
chase of machinery, was ever repaid.
I note with some concern that there is now some anxiety being expressed in
the recent Ryder Scott Report about our country's declining natural gas reserves.
( Business Express 29th Aug.2012) But the politicians and dem still "talking fat"
as though de oil and de gas can never "done" and promising to supply our Caricom
partners with natural gas.
Ian Lambie
p.s.
Most of this has been written from memory and without reference to
written records.
Page 21 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
The Great Plains of North America comprises three broad longitudinal bands.
From east to west, they are the tallgrass, midgrass and shortgrass prairie. This book
explores these bands at their middle latitudes in the states of Nebraska, Kansas and eastern Colorado.
The tallgrass prairies have the
richest soil, the greatest rainfall and of course the tallest grass cover, in the
summer often higher than a person. Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) -- wonder-
fully aromatic and used in traditional medicine -- is its signature plant. The
midgrass prairie, the broadest of the
three bands, has grass about a meter high. The shortgrass prairie, in the
rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains, has sparser, shorter vegetation, mostly
no more than 30 cm high.
Very little tallgrass prairies re-main today, as the fertile soil is very
valuable for agriculture. During three years' residence in Kansas, I never saw
the native tall grass except when I
made a deliberate trip to one of the remaining patches. Somewhat more
midgrass prairie retains its natural vegetation, although most has been
turned to the cultivation of maize and other grains. The shortgrass prairie is
poor cropland, utilized mainly for graz-
ing. It has been the least affected of the three bands, and it is here that Young did the
greater part of her wandering. The Great Plains are a region of seasonal extremes, often very hot in summer
and very cold in winter, with little to obstruct the winds that sweep over the land. I once asked a local man in the shortgrass prairie if the wind ever stopped blowing. His
GRAND HORIZONS
Mary Taylor Young 2002. Land of Grass and Sky. Englewood, Colorado: Earth Tales
160 pp.
[Twenty-ninth in a series on "naturalist-in" books.]
Christopher K. Starr
Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies [email protected]
Tallgrass (top) and shortgrass (bottom) prairies
Page 22 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
laconic answer -- one that he had probably given to many visitors from afar -- was
"Only to change directions." There are also large fluctuations in rainfall. Many rivers
and streams are dry or almost dry much of the year, then swell in the spring on their way to the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.
Aside from seasonal and human-made changes, the prairies are naturally dynamic.
Much of the eastern prairie is a fire climax, with fluctuating boundaries. Where fire has been absent long enough, the forest advances only to be lost in the next major
fire. This kills the trees, while leaving the roots of the grasses intact.
Each of the 14 chapters treats a particular plant or vertebrate animal and its asso-ciated organisms, with frequent references to relationships between the plains Indians
and particular plants and animals. The chapter titled "Tumbleweeds" includes a grip-ping second-hand account of a powerful life-threatening dust storm. Perhaps the
most engaging of the animal chapters is on the black-tailed prairie-dog, a fascinating
social mammal. However, the plant or animal that gives a chapter its title is some-times more a nucleating agent -- barely mentioned -- than a theme. One can appreci-
ate this device more if one does not insist on knowing exactly what is going on.
I came close to abandoning this book in the first chapter. I'm glad I didn't. All in all, it is well structured, although with marked lapses of focus of the sort that makes
much of journalism so tiresome. It is beyond belief that Young expects the reader to care about what she was wearing at one time or another, the Bailey's Irish Cream she
drank, or her dog's breed and name, among many other extraneous details. On top of this, various vapid metaphors and such statements as "God blessed [magpies] with
the magical power of flight, and added beauty and grace in the bargain" are downright
cringeworthy. The author missed a fine opportunity to ask, in the context of natural selection, why magpies are such graceful fliers.
Much of the book is a lament for diminishing and lost wilderness, as well as the
loss of rural life as housing developments spread. Young regrets that "The Great Plains have been plowed, irrigated, overgrazed, planted with trees, depopulated of na-
tive wildlife, and built upon with cities and sprawling developments. Though native plants survive in places, no natural prairie, functioning as it evolved to function, still
exists." Unlike when a forest is cut down, the physical change is not obvious to the casual observer, yet it is just as deep and lasting. Two keystone animals with major
impact on the soil, have been removed: bison and prairie dog. Each has been reduced
to an estimated 1-2% of its natural numbers. There is also a long lament for the passing of the native peoples. Young shows a
laudable eagerness to try the various kinds of traditional foods available to the plains
Indians. I just wish she wouldn't clutter the accounts with chatty comments on how they are prepared, for example, or what modern kitchen seasons to use on a bison
steak.
“Aside from sea-sonal and human-made changes, the prairies are naturally dy-namic. “
Christopher K. Starr is also the host of the new weekly radio show
"EcoTones", a half-hour programme devoted to a broad range of environmental
questions. Among these are environmental law and policy, ecotourism, the state of
the environment, and some of the exceptionally alluring wild plants and animals
found in the Eastern Caribbean. EcoTones airs every Wednesday evening just after
the 6 o'clock news (starting at about 22:10 GMT) on FM 101.7 (Heritage Radio).
Page 23 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Community Announcements
Environment TOBAGO would
like to welcome our new
Manager
Ms Juliana Antoine
who started her new post on
1st September.
"The UTC Tobago CSC is in your neighborhood Call us now to share with your group a Seminar on Financial Planning"
Manager: Florence Forbes
Contact : 635 2115 Ext. 6201 Business Development Officer : Desiree Hackett Murray
Contact : 635 2115 Ext 6239; 688 3862
Environment TOBAGO in-
vites you to support the An-
nual International Coastal
Cleanup (ICC)] 2012. This
year ET will be participating
in the cleaning of the Belle
Garden Beach. Those who
cannot make it to that
beach can go to the beach
that is closest to their vil-
lage. Cleanup is Saturday
October 6th at 7.00am,
Light refreshments and
gloves will be provided at
venue.
Page 24
Volunteers needed! Persons who are interested in helping with cataloguing and filing of ET’s educational, research and operational material and ar-
chiving.
Environment TOBAGO Environmental and
Services Map of Tobago
They are excellent and will be published every two years. Pub-
lished in January 2008. Requests for these maps can be made to
ET office.
ET is now on Facebook and Twitter
We invite everyone on Facebook to join. Here we will post upcoming events, links, photos and videos on ET matters and
other environmental issues.
ET group link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?
gid=53362888661&ref=ts
And keep up to date on what we are up to by following us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/environ_tobago
New Members ET has a membership of 418 worldwide:
No new members joined this quarter
WHAT’S HAPPENING @ ET
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Environment TOBAGO newsletter
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Education Coordinator
Page 25 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
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breast, sponsor’s logo printed on the back.
Orders can be made through
the office.
Price: TT$120.00
Environment TOBAGO t-shirts and caps now available
The Tropical Rainforest of
Tobago — The Main Ridge
Price: TT120.
Literature
Available
GUIDELINES TO CONTRIBUTORS
Articles on the natural history and environment are welcome especially those on
Trinidad and Tobago.
Articles should not exceed approximately 1200 words (2 pages) and the editors
reserve the right to edit the length. Images should be submitted as separate files.
Submit material to any of the following: 1) [email protected]
Deadline for submission of material for the 4th Quarter 2012 issue of
the Bulletin is December 10th, 2012.
EMAIL ________________________________________________
READERS’ FORUM
Dear ET Newsletter Readers,
We want to hear from YOU!
Comments may be edited for length and clarity.
Send your comments to: [email protected]
Office: 11 Cuyler Street
Scarborough,
Tobago, W.I.
Mailing address: P.O. Box 503,
Scarborough,
Tobago, W.I.
Phone: 1-868-660-7462
Fax: 1-868-660-7467
E-mail: [email protected]
Page 18 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
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