A DIP in the SALT POND Corporation Or Government Christopher K

Environment TO BAGO newsletter

nvironment TO- Volume 2 Issue 1 March 2008 E BAGO (ET) is a non- government, non-profit, volunteer organisation , not subsidized by any one group, A DIP IN THE SALT POND corporation or government Christopher K. Starr & Jo-Anne N. Sewlal body. University of the West Indies St Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago Founded in 1995, ET is a proactive, advocacy group that campaigns against negative environmental activities Among the outstanding features of Chacachacare, Trinidad & Tobago's westernmost and driest island, is throughout Tobago. We the Salt Pond on its southern side. This relatively shallow, roundish body of water of about two hectares has achieve this through a vari- neither inlet nor outlet. It is separated from the sea by a natural dike. As far as we know, its water economy ety of community an envi- has not been studied, but it is presumably fed mainly by rain, with some input from the sea by seepage through ronmental outreach pro- grammes. the dike and occasional wave splash over it. In this situation, with exposure to the sun during most Environment TOBAGO is daylight hours of the year, it is not surprising that the salt in the funded mainly through grants and membership fees. These water is concentrated through evaporation. In the only pub- funds go back into imple- lished report of the Salt Pond and the surrounding vegetation of menting our projects. We which we are aware, the late Peter R. Bacon (1967) noted that are grateful to all our spon- sors over the years and the salinity was about twice that of normal sea water. How- thank them for their contin- ever, some years ago we watched him take a sample and fail to ued support get an accurate reading, because it was off the scale of his instru- ment, several times as salty as the nearby sea. It may be that the salinity has changed over the years, but more likely it fluctuates hat’s inside seasonally. Salt Pond at Chacachacare W Bacon noted that as one descends the trail toward it "very Photo by: Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal strong sulphurous fumes are noticeable ...." In fact, we have A Dip in the Salt 1 never noticed them, which would seem to mean that a fumarole in the area has closed in recent decades. Pond On a recent visit to Chacachacare we decided to do something new. On previous visits we had gone The Royal Visit 2 down to the edge of the Salt Pond, even stuck in a finger to confirm that it really is extremely salty, but neither Antigua—another 3 of us had ever actually taken a swim in it. And we don't know of anyone else who has done so. island, more spiders The shore is fringed in places by a thick floating mat of filamentous algae. We hardly know one alga from another, but this looked quite unlike any we had seen in the sea and much like what we find in still and very The Tattoo-Leprosy 4 Link slow-running freshwater in Trinidad. Perhaps the salinity is unimportant for this alga and the key environmental factor is water movement. Rolling over some pieces of algal mat, we found many small water boatmen The Cry of the Dol- 5 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Corixidae). The water teems with tiny white crustaceans, presumably the copepod phin Cletocamptus sp., which Bacon reported as very abundant. On previous occasions we have noticed plenty of Book Review 6 shore flies (Ephydridae), but not this time. Bacon said that it "was not possible to venture far into the water, as the mud was very soft around the Activities @ ET 7 pond shores ...." In fact, we had no such difficulty. The bottom is fine mud overlain near shore with a peculiar What’s happening @ 8 crumbly layer a few centimeters thick. This latter puzzled us until we noticed here and there sunken sections ET of algal mat in various stages of decomposition. It appears that in this very still water the alga is transformed into a fine humus that overlays the relatively inorganic mud. What we’ve been 9 This humus layer is black, and therein lies one of the real surprises of our dip in the Salt Pond. The bottom and the water directly over it are hot. How hot? We didn't have a thermometer, but it almost made us Notes to 10 contributors yelp. You have undoubtedly swum in still waters on a sunny day and found the surface layer distinctly warmer than further below. Here it was just the opposite. The surface was just tepid, while near the bottom it was Page 2 Environment TOBAGO newsletter

bathwater hot. Where the depth was about three meters, the hot layer was about one meter high. We made these observations at about noon on an uncloudy day. We went back early the next morn- ing, fully expecting to find that the heat had radiated away during the night and the water was cool throughout. Not at all. The situation was just as before, evidently stabilized by the extreme stillness of water with no waves or upwelling. When salt water is mentioned, one immediately thinks of buoyancy. If March 2008 you are motionless in the sea around Chacachacare, you can keep our face above water by tilting your head back, but otherwise you are sunk up to your ears. In the Salt Pond, in contrast, you can "stand" upright in Editor: the deep water with your entire head and neck out. We had never Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Assistant Editor: before experienced buoyancy anywhere close to this. Christopher Starr And ecologist might well see the Chacachacare Salt Pond as a conven- Design & Layout: Starr in salt pond iently simplified system for the study of energy and nutrient cycles. Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Photo by: Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Reference Technical Support: Bacon, P.R. 1967. The Salt Pond, Chacachacare Island. Trinidad Field Naturalists' Club Journal (Port of Nolan Craigwell, Spain) 1967:40-44. Jerome Ramsoondar Nigel Austin Enid Nobbee The Royal Visit Contributors: President, Environment TOBAGO Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Patricia Turpin Christopher Starr

Patricia Turpin His Royal Highness Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall Environment visited Tobago in March, 2008. As with His private trust in the TOBAGO UK, His visit to Tobago concentrated on environment and agri- Photographs: Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal tourism Non-government Organisations (NGOs). The crew from Environment TOBAGO spent the week prior to Environment His arrival, setting up an exhibition at the Coco Reef hotel at TOBAGO Crown Point, Tobago. The build up to the sixth of March arrival

day was fraught with excitement. Despite our anxieties it turned

out to be a very casual and reciprocal event. First stop on the Prince’s itinerary was the new home of Board of Directors the Buccoo Reef Trust at Gibson’s jetty, Bon Accord Lagoon. 2007-2008 Heather Pepe, Patricia Turpin, Hema There, He examined the work being done by BRT and discussed Singh and Kay Seetal with its members, issues con- President:: cerning the marine environ- Patricia Turpin ment. Second stop on His itinerary was the Coco Reef hotel where Vice-President: Environment TOBAGO, Travel Foundation and SOS Save Our Sea Kamau Akili Turtles were awaiting His arrival. He was greeted by British officials Secretary: and about one hundred Brit- Fitzherbert Philips ish tourists. After a very ener- Treasurer: getic and delightful display by Shirley Mc Kenna the Tourism Division, He Committee members: then came in to view our Kay Seetal displays. Geoffrey Lewis Wendy Austin, Di- Patricia Turpin and HRH Prince Greta Akili rector of Environment TO- Charles Claudette Allard BAGO, discussed with the Bertrand Bhikarry Prince her display on the effects of climate change on the marine Hyacinth Armstrong environment (climate change and solid waste disposal are his ma- Wendy Austin Wendy Austin, Christopher James and jor concerns). He then discussed with members of the team- ma- HRH Prince Charles rine debris and solid waste disposal, for example Kilgwyn Wet- lands Clean Up. The President of Environment TOBAGO, Mrs. Patricia Turpin, presented the Prince with its first Honorary Membership and various other gifts. As a result, we were advised by the Prince to apply to the Prince’s Trust for funding in different areas. The publicity engendered by His visit would hopefully raise awareness for the various environmental issues surrounding Tobago. The event turned out to be both successful and delightful! Volume 2 Issue 1 Page 3

Antigua—another island, more spiders Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies

The island of Antigua boasts to have 365 beaches, one for everyday of the year. This is not surprising as its irregular coastline provides little nooks and crannies ideal for beach formation. For two weeks in the middle of February I visited Antigua to conduct a survey of the spider fauna found on the island. The island of Antigua along with its sister isle Barbuda are located in the middle of the north- east Leeward islands in the Eastern Caribbean (17o03’N 62o48’W) and separated from each other by 52 km of water. The small island of Redonda is politically part of Antigua and Barbuda, but since it is unin- habited. It lies about 56 km off the south west shores of Antigua but is actually up from the water’s surface mostly as sheer cliffs. However, it was inhabited for some decades after the 1860’s when guano deposits were mined for fertilizer, producing an annual yield of up to 7,000 tones. However, mining operations ceased during World War I. Abandoned stone During colonization by the Europeans which started in 1632 over 150 sugar estates were structure at Wallings established and along with it much of the natural vegetation was destroyed so that about 70% of the Reservior island’s current vegetation is secondary in nature and in various stages of reverting back to its natural state. However, remnants of the original vegetation are still found in ghuts or valleys as their slopes were too steep and not suitable for sugar cane cultivation. As a result it is common to see the ruins of these estates in particular the windmill towers dotting the landscape, however many of the Great Houses that stood on the plantations were destroyed. There are also some remnants of old forts on the island. This brings me to another highlight of my visit, Nelson’s Dockyard, located at English Har- bour on the eastern side of the island. The use of this harbour as a haven for ships from hurricanes can be traced back as far as 1671. It was then used as a naval dockyard by the British in 1725. However, the rise of steam-powered ships and lessening interest in the area caused the dockyard to be closed in 1889. Then it reopened 1961 after much restoration work by the Friends of English Harbour formed a mere decade before. Also some of the buildings still serve the function they were originally built for, such as the blacksmith’s workshop and the joiners’ loft. Besides their historical significance, many places in Antigua stood out for their natural beauty. MISSION STATEMENT An example is the reservoir at Wallings and the forest surrounding it. The reservoir itself was con- structed in 1890 and was completed after 10 years and stands as an example of Victorian industrial nvironment architecture. It was designed to hold 13 million gallons of water. The area is also a recreational area so tour guides bring their groups, and locals come up to the spot for picnics on the tables and benches E TOBAGO provided as well as go on the trails that network in the surrounding forest. conserves Tobago’s However, that the vegetation in Antigua can change in the blink of an eye. On a ½ hour walk natural and living you can go through pastureland, riparian vegetation to humid valley forests. Here one of the types of resources and advances grasslands is comprised primarily of Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon spp.). It was originally introduced to control soil erosion but has become a wide- the knowledge and spread weed in the Eastern Caribbean. understanding of such During the period of my visit it was quite windy and rainy. This is resources, their wise quite unusual weather for this time of year, especially on an island that is and sustainable use and drought prone and has experienced some quite severe droughts in the past, where extreme measures such as importing water from Dominica their essential had to be done as all the livestock were dying. relationship to human By comparing Antigua’s size with Cuba whose area and spider health and the quality of fauna is known, one would estimate Antigua to contain approximately 90 life species. However, taking into consideration the extremely disturbed con- dition of the vegetation as in addition to monoculture and drought the island has endured many hurricanes, this figure is expected to fall below the estimated number. Currently 29 species belonging to13 families have been identified. None of these is fatal to humans or pose any health threat. Some of the data will be included in my doctoral thesis. During my stay I was quite fortunate to visit Green Island. This is Thecodactylus rapicaudata just one of over 20 offshore islands that surround Antigua. I tagged along found on Green Island with Junior Prosper and Victor Joseph whose project on sea bird monitor- ing on the offshore island involves tagging and recording the nesting sites of the Magnificent Frigate Bird (Fregata magnificens) that breeds on the island. This island, although so far away also shares similarities with Trinidad and Tobago. One example is its folklore. They too believe the Silk Cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra) to be the House of Spirits. This belief may have stemmed as far back as the original Amerindian inhabitants. They believed that Page 4 Environment TOBAGO newsletter

spirits to dwell in trees and resisted when the trees were cut down. They fashioned their stone axes with a triangular hole in the centre of the axe so that the spirits could escape. During my visit I made many friends, some of which were local potters and artists Mike and Imo- gen Hunt. They are preparing for an exhibition in early March so I got to view some of their pieces. I also visited the home of local radio personality Kim Derrick who along with her family was more than happy to assist in my search for spiders.

Acknowledgments: This project was made possible through partial funding from the Vincent Roth Award from the American Arachnological Society and the Offshore Island Conservation Project. Thanks go out to Junior Prosper, Andrea Sheres and Victor Joseph of the Environmental Aware- ness Group (EAG) for all of their assistance in facilitation, transport and assistance in the field. Thanks also Salt Pond at to EAG for use of their office, Kim Derrick and family, Mike and Imogen Hunt, and to the Cooper family. Darkwood

The Tattoo-Leprosy Link Patricia Turpin President, Environment Tobago

Leprosy or Hansen’s disease in humans is caused by the bacterium- Mycobacterium leprae, this is one of the five types of bacterial infections reported from armadillos (better known as tattoo in Tobago.) It is reported that over 10 million people in the world have leprosy, which is widespread in tropical and subtropical areas of Asia, Central Africa, South and Central America. Endemic in the Southern USA Louisi- ana and Florida. Leprosy in wild armadillos was first reported in 1975. Since that time there have been additional reports of leprosy in armadillos (tattoo) in the US and Mexico. The method of transmission of leprosy in humans is unknown at this time. Further studies on the leprosy in humans and armadillos are needed before full significance can be understood. The most reported infections in wild armadillos (tattoo) has been based on detection of the “ Leprosy in wild organism leprosy) in the skin. Gross lesions ranging from small swellings on the skin to larger ulcerated lesions on the head and body. armadillos was first HOSTS: Until 1975, leprosy was thought to be a disease of only humans. Since then, naturally infected reported in 1975. Since armadillos have been found in three locations in Southern US. Sporadic infections being reported also in captive primates. that time there have TRANSMISSION: The mode among naturally infected armadillos - tattoo) is unknown, although contact been additional with infected animals or with the organisms in the soil is suspected as well. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT: The significance of natural mycobacterium leprae infection for the animals is reports of leprosy in not clear. The major significance of infection in armadillos is related to the public health aspects of the armadillos (tattoo) in disease. the US and Mexico. PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS: Case histories of Leprosy among armadillo handlers in Texas suggests that leprosy was acquired after catching, handling, skinning and eating armadillos; having been acquired by The method of the armadillo from the soil and the armadillo then becoming the vector. transmission of leprosy Armadillos (tattoos) are used for human leprosy research. The armadillos low body temperature makes then the ideal animal for testing anti-leprosy drugs. A lab in Melbourne, Florida- The Centre for in humans is unknown Leprosy Research- keeps wild armadillos for research. They report "Leprosy in Armadillos is not a at this time. ” threat to humans unless the infected animal is eaten. In this closed season and the rest of the year, when Tobagonians consume large amounts of wild tattoo, it would be wise to give it a rest. What do we know about the connection? We do know that in Charlotteville three cases of Leprosy occurred between 1985 and 1995. One person died and the other two were successfully treated. No publicity in anyway has been given to the significance of the existence of the disease, or to the Public Health risks in connection with the transference of this disease from tattoo to humans. Is there a link? How many more villages had cases of leprosy? We need a moratorium on Hunting Now! Take heed and give it a rest. Volume 2 Issue 1 Page 5

The Cry of the Dolphin Environment TOBAGO

Our fishermen are catching less and less fish and it seems that they have resorted to selling dolphins - possibly as a by-catch (i.e. the dolphin was accidentally caught in the net while fishing) or opportunistically (i.e. they caught nothing much and seeing the dolphins around they caught them so that they could have something to sell when they got home). Dolphin hunting is not the norm in Trinidad and Tobago but with the scarcity of fish and this new publicity indicating that dolphin may be a good substitute for fish for Lent, may lead to an increase in hunting. The only way to prevent this is by educating both the fishermen and the buying public. Here are some facts you may not have known: 1. Dolphins are mammals; they’re NOT fish. This means that they are red meat which is inappropriate for Lent. 2. Dolphins have just one baby every few years and they spend a lot of time and energy in bringing up their babies. Dolphins have just one baby and depending on the species, they carry their young between 11 and 17 months. They nurse their young for two years. The first year they feed only on their mother’s milk. An adult female does not reproduce until 10-13 years old. The male is 12- 14 years old before reproducing. This means that catching and killing these animals will cause greater and faster damage to dolphin popula- Dolphins tions than catching fish will to the fish population. A shorter period of hunting or even a lower catch rate will still have terrible consequences for dolphin populations. 3. Catching, killing, eating, possession of whale and dolphin parts is illegal in Trinidad and Tobago. 4. According to the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), dolphins are considered “protected animals” under the Trinidad and Tobago Legislation, Conservation of Wild Life Act. Sec- tion 5.1 states that “…no person shall hunt or shall be a party engaged in hunting any protected animal.”

Though it is easy to be angry with our fishermen, we need to understand that they are simply trying to make a living and in most cases do not know the damage they can cause by their actions. Their actions are as a result of other factors and we (the people and those elected or hired as regula- tory bodies) must look at the possible root causes of the problem. In this case, it is the scarcity of fish as well as the fact that the public is not aware that this is illegal. Such ignorance leads to hunting and the willingness of people to buy dolphin meat. To address this public awareness and promotion and support of the proper management of our fish resources are critical. But the plight of our dolphins is not the only battle that Environment TOBAGO has undertaken. Hammerhead sharks, an endangered species, along with manta rays are illegally being caught using nets. This practice is endangering the ecology of the Tobago reefs. Hammerhead sharks and manta rays come into Tobago waters at this time of year, fleeing the colder northern waters. They congregate around the Brothers and Sisters islands off Bloody Bay, a huge drawing card for scuba divers. Lack of law enforcement by the Fisheries Division, which is so under-staffed that it cannot properly monitor and address these illegal activities, exacerbates the problem. As a vulnerable twin-island state, any destruction of our ecology has a direct knock on effect on our economy and on our global reputation. In heeding the cry of the dolphin and the other creatures of this world that have no voice, we are speaking to our own innate humanity. By spreading the word, we are using education to combat igno- “ with the scarcity of rance. fish and this new The above article is based on information provided to the Guardian Life Wildlife Fund by Environ- publicity indicating ment TOBAGO, the premier environmental NGO in Tobago. Founded in 1995, Environment Tobago is a proactive advocacy group that campaigns against negative environmental activities and lobbies with the that dolphin may be a THA and GOTT for legislation change. Its mission:” to conserve Tobago's natural and living resources and good substitute for advance the knowledge and understanding of such resources, their wise and sustainable use, and their essential fish for Lent” relationship to human health and the quality of life". Contact information: 11 Cuyler St. Scarborough, Tobago. P.O. Box 503 Scarborough, Tobago, and Tel: 868-660-7462, fax 868-660-7467 or email: envir- [email protected]; www.environmenttobago.net. Guardian Life Wildlife Fund is an independent Trust established in 1992 with a mandate to nurture an environmentally responsible consciousness by raising awareness of the enormous issues attached to the question of preservation and conservation of our environment. Its patron is Mrs. Zalayhar Hassanali and Chairman, Dr. Carol James. The Trust supports fully the work of Environment Tobago in its education drive about the plight of these endangered marine species.

Page 6 Environment TOBAGO newsletter Book Review: A PIONEER’S LIFE Alexander F. Skutch 1971. A Naturalist in Costa Rica. Gainesville: Univ. Florida Press 378 pp. [Eleventh in a series on "naturalist-in" books.] Christopher K. Starr Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies [email protected] Alexander F. Skutch (1904-2004) was an American botanist and ornithologist who spent the greater part of his life in Costa Rica. In 1941 he bought a large farm, almost half of which was forested, in the El Gen- eral Valley on the pacific side of the country. This remained his home for the rest of his long and fruitful life. He farmed part of the property and kept the rest as a nature reserve. His wife, Pamela Lankester, shared his interests, and the two seemed perfectly content to live as semi-recluses in their naturalist's paradise. They earned money by collecting plants for museums, and the farm provided their food. Some naturalists are so hard-core that almost nothing can turn them away from an almost reflexive attention to nature. Skutch was certainly of that stamp. On a two-day expedition he suffered a very serious accident when his horse slipped and fell. It disabled his left arm, and he immediately headed for home, so that he could better recover from his injuries. Even in extreme pain and anguish, though, he could not stop taking new observations of birds he saw along the way. The author is best known for his studies of the life histories and breeding habits of a great variety of neotropical birds, published in a many journal articles and in books with titles such as The Life of the Humming- bird, New Studies of Tropical American Birds and Life of the Tanager. There is a large measure of luck in making “ To a naturalist, observations of birds at the nest. After all, birds are not interested in having their nests observed and most go to great lengths to conceal their location from potential predators. The chance that a short-term visitor Costa Rica is a very will come upon even one active nest of a species whose breeding habits have not been studied is vanishingly varied place. It is small. By living year-round in a bird-rich area, freeing himself from the need to hold down a regular job, and keeping a sharp lookout, Skutch was able to record much that no other naturalist had seen. rugged, with peaks As a mark of the esteem in which Skutch is held among biologists, a genus of birds and a genus of small up to about 4000 m, trees are eached named for him, Skutchia. (Although the rules of nomenclature provide that no two genera and has large of animals or of plants can have the same name, there is no obstacle to giving a genus of animals and a genus of plants exactly the same name.) differences in rainfall. A Naturalist in Costa Rica, then, is Skutch's account of his many years at his farm and elsewhere in the Furthermore, it is a country. It opens in 1935 when Skutch arrived in Costa Rica to visit El General and quickly decided that this zone of mixing was the place for him. He had entered on a tourist visa but wanted to stay longer, so he went to the provin- cial governor and explained his intentions. The governor wrote in Skutch's passport that he was permitted between the biotas to stay until he had completed the studies for which he had come. That seems very funny today. of South and North To a naturalist, Costa Rica is a very varied place. It is rugged, with peaks up to about 4000 m, and has America.” large differences in rainfall. Furthermore, it is a zone of mixing between the biotas of South and North Amer- ica. Much of the country was natural habitat at that time, and it had a history of relative social peace and stability. El General is relatively isolated by high mountains. In the early period of Skutch's residency, there were no real roads and no motor vehicles. This series of reviews treats only books that are substantial enough to merit our attention. A Naturalist in Costa Rica is possibly the most substantial naturalist-in book I know. It is not just long but rich in detail, including an annotated list of the 334 species of birds known from El General -- most of which appeared on the farm from time to time, including 174 that he found nesting there -- and a serious (though incomplete) index. There are chapters on his early years in Costa Rica and how he came to acquire and develop Los Cus- ingos. Perhaps the most attractive chapter, on trails in the rain forest, takes us on a stroll with attention to various organisms, especially trees and birds. The chapter on social insects opens with the remark that, while butterflies and beetles furnish the most beautiful of tropical insects, most of the drama comes from the social insects, which merit the attention of all tropical naturalists. And he has some observations on the mass direc- tional flights of the moth Urania fulgens in Central America. (To be continued is the next issue) Volume 2 Issue 1 Page 7

ACTIVITIES @ ET

2007 Keep A Clean School Competition Official Results

Keep A Clean School Competition

The prize giving ceremony for the Clean School Competition was held on Wednesday 23rd January 2008 at the PRDI Conference Facility in Scarborough. The ceremony was well attended by over sixty persons con- sisting of awardees, principals, teachers, students, project partners and the media. The ceremony began at 10:15 a.m. with the ET prayer followed by the national anthem, sung by students of Step-Up International Academy.

This was followed by a welcome and introduction by PC Giancarlo Lalsingh. The prizes were then distrib- uted with the assistance of judges Catherine Head and Simon Bardon of Coral Cay Conservation; Ms. Hema Singh and Mrs. Patricia Turpin of ET; and Mrs. Donna O’Neil of BHP Billiton.

A vote of thanks was then given by the PC on behalf of ET, followed by refreshments. The event was well covered by the media and was feature on Radio Tambrin and Channel 5 newscasts.

School visits Coral Cay Conservation 14/01/08 Pacific Lutheran University 15/01/08 Coral Cay Conservation Scholars 26/01/08

World Wetlands Day Bacolet wetland clean-up 28/01/08 Gibson’s jetty wetland clean-up 29/01/08

Other Activities Turtle Village Trust soft launch 16/01/08 Tobago costal ecosystem mapping project steering committee meeting 29/01/08 Primary Category 1st Place Speyside Anglican School $1,500. 2nd Place Plymouth Anglican School $1,000. 3rd Place (Tie) Goodwood Methodist School $800. Step-Up International Academy $800.

Special Commendation Scarborough Methodist $300. Pembroke Anglican School $300. Michael K. Hall Community School $300. Scarborough S.D.A. Primary $300.

Secondary Category 1st Place Goodwood High School $1,500. 2nd Place Speyside High School $1,000.

Special Prizes Tidiest School Speyside Anglican $1,500.

Best Beautification Initiative Goodwood High School $500.

Most Effective Management of Students Patience Hill Government Primary $500.

Best Recycling Initiative Step Up International Academy $500. Page 8 Environment TOBAGO newsletter

Best Composting Initiative/ Best Vegetable & Herb Garden (Tie) Tablepeice Government Primary $500. Patience Hill Government Primary $500.

Most Innovative Use of Recycled Materials Whim Anglican $500.

Judges: Ms. Hyacinth Armstrong, Mr. Simon Bardon, Ms. Michelle Burris, Ms. Tanya Clovis, Ms. Lorraine Delfour, Ms. Kemba Heath, Mr. Barry Lovelace, Ms. Kelly Mannette , Ms. Joelle Paul, Ms. Justine Louise Pike, Ms. Hema Singh, Mrs. Patricia Turpin.

2008 Keep A Clean School Poster Competition Official Results

Primary Category 1st Place Curtis DeSilva, St. Nicholas Private Primary $500. 2nd Place Lesharo Pirtheesingh, Step-Up International Academy $400. 3rd Place Destiny Byrne, St. Nicholas Private Primary $300.

Secondary Category 1st Place Lincoln Longdon, Goodwood High School $500. 2nd Place Casion Mckenna, Goodwood High School $400. 3rd Place Akeem Rollocks, Goodwood High School $300.

Judges: Ms. Catherine Head, Ms. Sheila Chester, Ms. Hannah Theakson.

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO @ ET

15th February—10 am Meeting at DNRE with Neila Bobb - Kilgwyn and ET Tobago wetlands project

15th February- 530 pm- Bishops High School- Public Consultation- NGC pipeline

19th Feb- 9.30 am COCO Reef Hotel- with BRT-Travel Foundation Preparation for display for His Royal Highness Prince Charles visiting Mar 6th.

20th Feb - UNDP site visit to Bacolet Wetlands for ET project proposal.

21st Feb- 9am- EMA- Trinidad- Forest policy meeting.

21st Feb- 5.30 pm- COPE meeting Maraval Trinidad.

22nd Feb- 10.am- IWCAM meeting -PRDI Scarborough.

23rd Feb- Saturday- by 10 am. meeting at ET office to clean up yard, put up blinds, fix awnings etc.

Mar 4th- 10 am- Chris James House- Bacolet- Travel Foundation Meeting

Mar 6th- Visit of Prince Charles- Coco Reef Hotel Volume 2 Issue 1 Page 9

WHAT’S HAPPENING @ ET

Thanks from ET Volunteers needed! Bewil & Company Ltd. Scrip J Persons who are interested in helping with cata- Jaric Environment Safety & Health Services Ltd. loguing and filing of ET’s educational, research and The Guardian Wildlife Fund operational material and archiving. Safety Specialist Ltd.

Environment TOBAGO t-shirts now available!!!

Type: Polos Type: Lady’s tees Size: Small, Medium & Large Size: Small & Medium Price: TT$150.00 Price: TT$100.00 Colours: Kelly green, royal Colours: Lime green, red and blue, red, gold and ash grey black Description: ET logo embroi- Description: ET logo printed dered on left breast, spon- on front and sponsor logo at sor’s logo printed on the the back centre back.

Type: Regular tees Size: Small, Medium & Large Price: TT$100.00 Colours: Kelly green, red, black, navy blue, ash, purple, royal blue and black forest Description: ET logo printed on front and sponsor logos on sleeves

Orders can be made through the office.

New Members Environment TOBAGO—Environmental With a membership of 370 worldwide, ET welcomes the following and Services Map of Tobago members:

They are excellent and will be published every Leo Granger & Family two years. Published in January 2008. Requests for these Mr & Mrs Lewin Smith maps can be made to ET office. Katie & Jorn Kaiser Kenneth Bissoon Stuart Sampson Errol Bacchus & Family Page 10 Environment TOBAGO newsletter

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]

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] 2) [email protected]

Deadline for submission of material for the 2nd Quarter 2008 issue of the Bulletin is June 10th, 2008. We are on the web http://www.Environmenttobago.net

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