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Transcript of Et newsletter June 2013
En viron men t TO BAGO n ewsl etter
ET President receives Euan P. McFarlane Environmental
Leadership Award
E nvironment TOBA-
GO (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 activities
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 8
Articles 9
Book Review 13
Community
Announcements 16
What’s Happening @ ET 17
Notes to contributors 18
June 2013 Environment TOBAGO
Island Resources Foundation announces that Patricia Turpin is the winner of the
2013 Euan P. McFarlane Environmental Leadership Award. This award recognizes over
forty years of continuous service by Turpin to the cause of environmental conservation
and sustainable development on the island of Tobago, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago,
culminating with her service as founding director (1996) and later President of the NGO
“Environment Tobago” (2000). As Managing Director of the Turpin-family -owned Charlotteville Estates in
northeastern Tobago (renowned for generations of high quality environmental stew-
ardship) she has been able to achieve enhanced livelihoods for local residents, while
continually upgrading the quality of environmentally sustainable management of the
Estate. Finally, in addition to her local leadership and her demonstration of the eco-
nomic value of the sustainable use of local resources, Pat Turpin has been a powerful
voice for the special conditions, resilience, and requirements for ecosystem protection
on the small island Tobago, in distinction to its large-island, petro -producing partner,
Trinidad. She has served as President of the national Council of Presidents of the Envi-
ronment (COPE), various national councils and advisory boards, and serves as an Hon-
orary Game Warden for the Cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago. She has also served on
regional United Nations groups, and as a director of the Caribbean Conservation Asso-
ciation. On being notified of the McFarlane Award, Ms. Turpin said, “Through Envi-
ronment Tobago and my work with other groups, we have positively influenced local
and national ecosystem protection practices, the creation of critical national biodiver-
sity legislation, and so much more. I see my role as a steward, empowering others to
protect what is critical to our health and livelihoods — our environment. “ “It has been a privilege working with so many like-minded colleagues in this
arena, locally, nationally and regionally. I intend to continue with this work as long as I
am needed and am capable.” In advancing that agenda, Pat Turpin is currently working
on an on-going reforestation project, the Tobago element of the new Trinidad and To-
bago National Spatial Development Strategy, and an assessment and adaptation plan for
climate change effects for North East Tobago. The selection committee for the Euan P. McFarlane Environmental Leadership
Award offer our sincere congratulations and best wishes to Patricia Turpin for her fu-
ture efforts on behalf of the people and environment of Tobago.
The Euan P. McFarlane Award for Outstanding Environmental Leadership in the Insular Carib-
bean is a cash award, established in 1987, by Laurance S. Rockefeller to provide recognition for
persons demonstrating initiative, resourcefulness and leadership in promoting conservation and
June 2013
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
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
Fitzherbert Phillips
Renee Gift
Geoffrey Lewis
Darren Daly
Allan Sandy
Page 2 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
enhancement of the environment in the insular Caribbean, with priority given to the smaller
islands of the eastern Caribbean. Euan P. McFarlane, after whom this award was named, was until his death in 1983 actively
involved in environmental causes in the Caribbean. He was a former Treasurer and Board
Member of the Caribbean Conservation Association, a Trustee of the Island Resources Founda-
tion, and a founding member of the St. Croix Landmarks Society. Endowment funding was
provided by the late Laurance S. Rockefeller, and the program has been administered since its
inception by Island Resources Foundation, an independent, not-for-profit NGO dedicated to
improved environmental planning for the development of small islands. Nominees for the McFarlane Award should be persons who have applied themselves to the
preservation of the natural or built environment and whose career or avocation demonstrates
an appreciation of and adherence to the advancement of environmental stewardship and bal-
anced development in the Caribbean.
1988 Mr. Yves Renard, St. Lucia
1989 Mr. Mervin Williams, St. Lucia
1990 Mr. Ronald Charles, Dominica
Mr. Arlington James, Dominica
1991 Ms. Alissandra Cummins, Barbados
1992-93 Mr. Kevel Lindsay, Antigua and Barbuda
1994-95 Mr. Jalaludin Ahmad Khan, Trinidad and Tobago
1996-97 Mr. Reginald Murphy, Antigua and Barbuda
Mr. Maurice Widdowson, St. Kitts
1998 Mr. Andrew Simpson, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
1999 Mr. Ian Lambie, Trinidad and Tobago
2000 Mr. David Robinson, Nevis
2001 Mr. Charles Chavoudiga, Guadeloupe
2002 Jacqueline and Larry Armony, St. Kitts
2003 Dr. Brian Cooper, Antigua
2004 Dr. Joth Singh, Barbados
2005 Ms. Diana McCaulay, Jamaica
2006 Mr. Raymond Walker (posthumously), British Virgin
Islands
2007 Dr. I. Earle A. Kirby (posthumously), St. Vincent and
the Grenadines
2008-09 Mr. Rueben J. Thompson, Sint Maarten
2010 Mr. Albert Hugh “Errol” Harris, Dominica
2011 Mr. Karim V. D. Hodge, Anguilla
2013 Ms. Patricia Turpin, Tobago
M c F A R L A N E A W A R D R E C I P I E N T S
Page 3 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Pride of Tobago
Through collaboration, big ideas can emerge; ideas that can inspire communities to
take on transformational projects that can change the face of society. The ‘Pride of To-
bago’ Project is a Community Development initiative that encourages collaboration
between people, groups, organisations and institutions in a particular community to
come together to learn from each other and collectively solve a problem affecting their
community. The Pride of Tobago Project seeks to revive that Tobago spirit of self-
reliance and cooperation that we were once known for, and in the process assist with
the creation of a caring and nurturing society.
Objectives:
Through this project, the Department of Community Development in Collaboration
with Environment TOBAGO will seek to:
1. Mobilize communities to take an active role in addressing their own community
needs.
2. Instill values of civic pride in our children, youth, adults and the elderly with the aim
of inspiring an attitude change to show care for the environment.
3. Reinforce the importance of locals buying into the branding of Tobago.
4. Encourage innovation, creativity and fund raising.
5. Develop and improve social infrastructure in communities.
6. Encourage collaboration and partnership amongst community groups /organization
and institutions.
7. Highlight the importance of community involvement in social development and plan-
ning.
ET PROJECTS
“ To many p eopl e these tall pea ks make fo r a c hallen ging b ut scenic hike. Bu t they a re not jus t a no the r tall m oun tain to climb . ”
Page 4 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Summer & Easter Eco Camps
Since 2007 we have been running our Summer & EasterEco Camps for groups
of children between the ages of eight to twelve years old in Tobago. Each year the two
-week and hands-on camp has been a proven success; with fieldtrips, arts and crafts,
team building, environmental movies, hikes and discussions all at play, our young
‘graduates’ have left our hands more knowledgeable, aware and understand more
about environmental issues in Tobago.
At Environment TOBAGO we believe that understanding the importance of
the natural environment is of upmost importance and that this can be achieved best
through teaching children to feel responsible via the use of active examples - to engage
and educate in order to raise awareness and to instil knowledge.
Access to (or rather lack of) environmental education materials within Toba-
go’s schools plays a significant role in the alarming rate of misconceptions and misun-
derstandings concerning our natural environmental. Restrictions within the current
education curriculum (and assigned resources) prevent the opportunity to explore and
experience Tobago; children are, for the most part, limited to classroom teachings with
very little hands-on and interactive methodology taking place. Our Eco Camp proposes
to address just this - providing children with the opportunity for hands-on environmen-
tal education; thus enabling the students to develop their own environmental ethic.
Objectives:
1. To develop among students, an appreciation of the natural environment and to stim-
ulate interest and a continued learning about the natural history, ecology and conserva-
tion in Tobago.
2. To enhance student awareness and understanding of ecological processes and how
human interactions impact on the natural environment.
3. To encourage the adoption of positive environmental practices by students as well
as a commitment to conservation and the sustainable use of Tobago’s natural re-
sources.
Page 5 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Wild About Wetlands-Coral Reef and Wetland Sensitization Programme
Tobago’s wetlands are seriously threatened by the abuse and the critical
importance of them to biodiversity and human wellbeing is consistently ignored.
Most wetland areas of Tobago have been destroyed or their capacity severely re-
duced. Now less than one percent (1%) of our land area is covered by wetlands.
What many fail to recognize is that wetlands are closely linked to human
survival and development. The benefits to maintaining healthy wetlands has both a
direct, and positive effect on human health – such as provision of food, clean water,
pharmaceutical products etc. – and the negative effects of mismanaging wetlands that
result in the impairment of our health and even loss of life – through the effects of
water related diseases, floods and water pollution. Yet wetlands continue to be
drained and cleared for agriculture, urban, industrial and tourism developments.
What little we have left, we continue to pollute with domestic and industrial wastes.
We can no longer continue to exploit these vital resources indefinitely. To this end,
Environment TOBAGO seeks to promote awareness in our island’s school about
the importance of Wetlands and why we should protect these gems of nature.
The objective of this project is to further promote awareness, knowledge
and understanding about wetlands and its value to communities in Tobago.
Students from Bishops High School and University of Waterloo participating
in ET's 2013- Coral Reef and Wetlands Education program with Education
Coordinator -Barry Lovelace.
“ To many p eopl e these tall pea ks make fo r a c hallen ging b ut scenic hike. Bu t they a re not jus t a no the r tall m oun tain to climb . ”
Page 6 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Coral Reef & Wetlands Education Campaign
The Coral Reef and Wetlands Education Campaign (CWREC) 2013, is an
interesting educational programme designed for secondary schools throughout Tobago.
This Campaign has been carded to happen during the third school term (April to June)
of 2013 and has been made possible by the contributions of number of organisations,
all of whom were part of the PCI Media Impact, "My Island, My Community" (MIMC),
Tobago Coalition. Collaborators include:
Environment Tobago (provided content, design and coordination)
PCI Media Impact (provided funding of materials and resources)
Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, THA (provided content
and human resource)
Division of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, THA (endorsed program and fund-
ed boat trips)
Department of Tourism and Transportation / the Management of the Buccoo Integrat-
ed Facility.
This campaign is based on the rationale
that Tobago's economy in one that relies
heavily on ecosystem services (Coral
Reefs, Beaches, Wetlands, Forests
etc). Tourism and Fisheries for instance,
are major drivers of our economy, and as
we continue to explore the potential of
these industries into the future, it is of
crucial importance that our citizens/
stakeholders (especially our youths) ac-
quire a greater appreciation of the tre-
mendous value ecosystems such as coral
reefs, wetlands and rain forests confer to these industries, and more so, to Tobago's
socio-economic well-being. The Ministry of Education also recognizes this need, by
including in the school curriculum (at all levels), topics that require knowledge of, and
appreciation for, these ecosystem and the services they provide.
As such, the objectives of the CRWEC are to:
To deliver curriculum-relevant content on the value of Wetlands and Coral Reefs
of Tobago to senior students (third to sixth forms) of all secondary schools in Toba-
go .
To engage students in an Experiential Learning Journey (guided mangrove wetland
trek and glass bottom boat tour) of the Bon Accord/Buccoo wetland Complex.
To empower teachers who are responsible for imparting knowledge of the Wetlands
and Coral Reef aspects of the senior school syllabi, with methods, information and re-
source options.
Key messages will include:
Why Coral Reefs and Wetlands are important for Tobago with references to local val-
uation studies of the goods and services Tobago ecosystems provide.
Coral Reef and Mangrove Geography, Ecology and Biology
Climate Change as a threat to coastal ecosystems and our well being
What we can do to conserve and protect these ecosystems – A call to action!
Where and how to find additional resources and information (E.G. Department of
Natural Resources and the Environment, Department of Marine Resources and Fish-
eries, Environment Tobago, Buccoo Reef Trust, Speyside EcoMarine Park Rangers,
North East Sea Turtles)
There are two aspects to this campaign. First, an informative PowerPoint lecture on
topics stated above. Then, an experiential Learning Journey (field trip) of the Buccoo
Reef Wetland Complex. Both aspect can happen on the same day or if preferred, on
different days, according to logistics agreed upon.
This campaign should be of particular interest to Teachers and Students of Geogra-
phy, Biology, Caribbean Studies and Environmental Science, since it will cover topics
in their respective syllabi. However, all students will benefit since the resources be-
long to all.
Page 7 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
“ To many p eopl e these tall pea ks make fo r a c hallen ging b ut scenic hike. Bu t they a re not jus t a no the r tall m oun tain to climb . ”
Page 8 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Guilds and Life-Forms
Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal
Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies
Scientists love to organize things simply because it helps to understand them
better. One such organization method is through the use of guilds and life-forms. A
guild is defined as a group of animal species (related or unrelated) that exploit the same
resources often using the same methods. However, one must not confuse occupying
the same ecological niche with belonging to the same guild. Guilds are also not to be
confused with trophic levels as in this system the animals are placed in each level ac-
cording to what they eat for example, if they eat plants of any kind they are placed in
the herbivores tropic levels. If they feed on herbivores then they are placed in the car-
nivore trophic level.
The term guild is used to emphasize the similarity between these groups and
associations of craftsmen that use similar techniques in their trade. It is not uncommon
to find that the species in a guild are closely related and arose from a common ances-
tor, which would account for their similarity in exploiting the common resource. How-
ever this is not a hard and fast rule and guilds can also contain unrelated species. Be-
cause of this commonality it is not unusual that species compete with each other, killing
and eating each other in some cases. But species do cooperate with one another to
search for food and avoid predators.
There are various ways to define a guild, such as the method used by the spe-
cies to exploit the resources for example, with spiders there are web-builders which
construct webs to catch mostly insects. Then there are active hunters which do not
depend on webs or do not build them altogether but search for and ambush their prey.
Guilds can also be defined based on location. Again using spiders as an example, active
hunters can be further sub-divided into two guilds; plant wanderers and ground wan-
derers based on the location of their hunting grounds. From this one can see that there
are no clearly defined boundaries guild.
Guilds for plants are referred to as life-forms and refers to the plants
“adaptedness” to the environment. Species share similarities within life-forms in that
they may be comprised of related as well as unrelated species and they also compete
for the same resources. However, life-forms contain more flexibility in terms of the
type of life-form they exhibit in that the same species can exhibit different life-forms
depending on the conditions it is growing in for example, deciduous trees shed their
leaves when it becomes cold. Another example includes tree species that are of normal
height and appearance under normal conditions however at certain altitudes they are
reduced to shrubs.
Life-forms and guilds are quite useful when it comes to studying the ecology of
an area. An advantage is that one does not spend money and identify all the species in
an area. The structure and form of the species in the guild can be used as an indication
of the environmental conditions present. Therefore these classifications are beneficial
to both scientists and governments in terms of the time spent gathering biodiversity
information which can used to maintain global biodiversity.
ECOLOGY NOTES
Page 9 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Looking at Better Building Practise in the Face of Sea -Level Rise
Bertrand Bhikarry
Environment TOBAGO
The habit of building close to the coast was a common practice in the old To-
bago days, and no doubt was influenced by harsh memories the general population at
that time bore for the estates further inland. But a century and a half has passed and
new realities exist now. One; the great grand-children of the African slaves who were
brought here are the embedded natives and they have taken charge of their destiny.
Two, the island itself is in the throes of climate change. Which means, among other
problems that will arise, those coastal developments begun well over a hundred years
ago are at risk of the rising ocean. For the island resident fifty years from now, if the
sea level rises even just a meter – and it will, Tobago stands to suffer loss to a major
portion of its road network, most of its tourism accommodation, all of its wetlands,
and more than likely, the port infrastructure. But the real sting would be the cost to
the individual of resettling further back inland. Consider the following ramifications:
Major urban centres will have to be relocated deeper into the hinterland, food will cost
more - since large tracts of agricultural land will become unproductive, and the most
valuable (expensive) tourism properties would need to be rebuilt further away from
the water.
Scientists predict a one meter SLR for this region as soon as 2050. For children
born now, their financial outlook will be horrendous in adulthood. Think of it: If a cou-
ple has a house on the coast at this time, and harbours the expectation their offspring
will have it relatively easy – in part because of an inherited structure, it may arise the
inheritors will have to rebuild elsewhere. In essence those ‘kids’ will not have the luxu-
ry of seaside property as collateral for mortgage financing; since general coastal inunda-
tion would have removed its value.
Is there a way out for the Tobago coastal zone dweller? There could be, but it
would require sweeping changes to the current way of doing things. Given that popula-
tions almost never do things voluntarily though, it may not be the civil sector that
makes those first moves. Indeed present government might want to consider the impo-
sition of a property tax, specifically to be paid by waterfront property owners and us-
ers. Those monies would feed and finance insurance scheme to offset costs of moving
or amelioration to flooded areas. The latter might not be an option, since the reality of
a one meter SLR is not quite a temporary as an overnight flood.
The other option is building dykes. But the cost to keep seawater away from
coastal areas that were developed for different hydrologic situations is not one that
Tobago ought to look at -even if it promises employment as the short term gain. The
better approach is a lateral spatial policy where the water is allowed to come inland,
and allowed to go where it finds its level. However given the old school engineering
tendency here to fight nature, that is yet a lesson for the learning. Actually, in preparing
itself for the big events of the next four decades and onward, Tobago people of the
now might want keep in mind a sobering thought: That they will be searching for solu-
tions to problems that will only manifest after they are gone. But if that’s done well,
there could be no better gift for the children.
ARTICLES
“Is there a way
out for the Toba-
go coastal zone
dweller? “
“ To many p eopl e these tall pea ks make fo r a c hallen ging b ut scenic hike. Bu t they a re not jus t a no the r tall m oun tain to climb . ”
Page 10 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Will it be Sustainable Tourism including Eco-Tourism or Will it be
Hunting and Bird Catching
Ian Lambie
We have a long way to go before politicians and decision makers put a DOLLAR
VALUE on our country's renewable natural resources, other than when they give
our lands to quarry operators) and to implement adequate land use planning and
appropriate legislation for the proper and sustainable management of these re-
sources.
The government (whether PNM, UNC or PP) believes, from its actions, that
it is exempt from the laws and procedures which were passed in the Parliament for
example, Town and Country Act and the requirement of the EMA Act. Governments
must accept that the environmental laws also apply to the government and to govern-
ment projects. Just think of what is happening with the construction of the San Fer-
nando to Pt. Fortin highway. It appears to me that the government believes that it is
exempt from the laws which require the submission and acceptance of an environ-
mental impact assessment. I am not opposed to the construction of the highway but
the rules relative to the submission to and acceptance by the EMA of the required
environmental impact assessments and other reports, must be followed. I am also of
the opinion that the landowners must also receive, before demolition of their respec-
tive properties, the "market value" for their respective properties, as may be agreed
upon by both parties, in addition to payment for dislocation even if alternative relo-
cation sites are identified. Remember the rise of Hulsie Bhagan and her fight for fair
compensation for lands acquired for the widening of the Uriah Butler Highway (or
was it still the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway). It has also been reported, to com-
pound the "unfair treatment" to the owners and occupiers of the land, that the then
Minister of Works (or was it the Minister for National Security) accompanies a team
of police officers to the site of the proposed highway extension to remove the land
owners from their own land. Could this report be true? It took the Asa Wright Na-
ture Centre 14 years before it received compensation for its lands which had been
acquired in 1981 for quarrying purposes. We now understand that the quarrying
operations on this land is being conducted by a privately-owned company and is
threatening the continued existence of the Nature Centre. There are other govern-
ment construction projects which did not receive the approval of the EMA. The
construction of an aluminium smelter in South Trinidad (now either abandoned or put
on the "back burner"). However the forest cover was already removed from the
site even before the necessary permission had been granted by the EMA; and what of
the proposed development of Port Facilities at Charlotteville, Tobago etc. etc.
Imagine that a Minister by the stroke of her pen over-ruled the decision of
the professionals at the EMA and give permission to quarry operators to destroy an
area equivalent to 2550 Acres (17 parcels each not exceeding 150 acres) or approxi-
mately 13 times the size of the Queens Park Savannah. ..... Just so? Dat is Power
eh!!!! It is my belief that this and similar "job related" frustrations caused my friend
and mentor, Professor Julian Kenny to die of "a broken heart". And we talking about
"sustainable development" while priority is given giving to spending "scarce" taxpayers
money on expensive full page colour newspaper advertisements to highlight the
achievements of the government agency in environmental conservation. This money
may be better spent in environmental education programmes aimed at stimulating an
interest among senior students in secondary schools of the benefits to be derived
from the sustainable management of our country's renewable natural resources.
“ To many p eopl e these tall pea ks make fo r a c hallen ging b ut scenic hike. Bu t they a re not jus t a no the r tall m oun tain to climb . ”
Page 11 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Imagine a country like Trinidad and Tobago with a heavy annual rainfall having
to depend on expensive desalinated water to supplement our requirements while the
rain water is lost to the sea. The desalination plant is not 100% owned by the state.
What an excellent and rewarding investment this has been for the minority sharehold-
er, the Karamath Family. Was Mr. Hafeez Karamath, now deceased, the regular visitor,
wearing short pants, to the Panday residence? Remember that the effluent from the
desalination plant is itself a polluter of the environment. By the way, with the mention
of the name Karamath, I recall that nearly a year has elapsed without any charges being
brought against any member of the Karamath family in whose home at Valsayn several
automatic weapons and ammunition were reported to have been found. Has this
matter been swept under the carpet or are the Police still continuing their investiga-
tions?
And what about the matter with Minister Tim Gopeesingh's son "planassing" a
man in full view of the public and with the images being televised later in the day? And
what about the drugs found in a container of frozen chicken on examination by the
customs and the matter, as is the procedure with drugs and firearms, handed over to
the police for further action? Is this matter still being investigated by the police? And
what about the fatal stabbing of a man over payment for "a doubles" which took place
on Cipriani Boulevard some months ago. It was reported in the media that the sus-
pect was a member of the Monteil family? It is rumoured that he left for the UK later
the same day. I assume that police investigations are continuing in this matter. This
week I read about the removal of Samaan Trees from the Queens Park Savannah and
the removal of Pink Poui trees from the verge of the Churchill -Roosevelt Highway.
The questions may be asked (a) Did the EMA give its approval for the removal of these
trees; (b) Are there plans to replant or replacement trees and (c) Who receives the
money when these trees are delivered to or purchased by a sawmiller. And what
about ...........................................................I can go on and on. Enough for now.
The Last Cry for Buccoo
Bertrand Bhikarry
Environment Tobago
It has been an interesting month of Sundays since the Tobago House of As-
sembly (THA) last brought Assembly guns to bear on the Buccoo Reef. Unfortunately
Gary Melville who was Secretary for Environment at the time, did not get to finish
his and the governing organisation’s stated intentions. Still, the Reef continues to die,
even as everyone makes the usual sympathetic noises, cosy up even more to self in-
terest, and generally pretend we still have something special to sell to nature lovers.
The fact is, ladies and gentlemen, Tobago may soon have the only truly dead reef in
the Caribbean. The real challenge then will be to position it into a viable tourism
product. Granted, it is more fun for our marketers and branders to travel around
dispensing brochures and cutting deals than it is to deflect the sewage which flows
into the Lagoon. But at some point the nutrient shall hit the fan and there will be
nothing much of interest there. Can we imagine a Tobago tourism product without
our reef? We should. Unless the THA and other powers that be get cracking.
“ To many p eopl e these tall pea ks make fo r a c hallen ging b ut scenic hike. Bu t they a re not jus t a no the r tall m oun tain to climb . ”
Page 12 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Buccoo Reef is the only natural tourism asset we really have – aside from the
much vaunted rainforest up at Main Ridge. We do have Pigeon Point, but a large part of
the peninsula’s allure is the adjoining patch of coral, azure blue waters, and the green
mangrove-fringed coast. However, if either the reef or the surrounding mangrove dies,
Pigeon Point Heritage Park may be as useless to us as any other concrete-covered Car-
ibbean cape. Tobago may want to look long and hard at developing alternative tourism
attractions, but really, can anyone here do that? We could indeed, if we use outside
talent, bring in amusement and entertainment devices – that sort of thing. But such an
approach will merely leave us with non-local interests to pay, and eventually someone
still has to learn to maintain things. Do not forget, lack of maintenance is why we’re
losing the reef.
It would be simplistic to say we could just drop the tourism thrust and focus
on life without foreign money. No way Jose, if in doubt, perhaps we merely need to ask
around for an opinion from the 16-thousand or so Tobago-based people who depend
on tourism for a living. The answers from the white-shirted taxi-drivers, head-cloth
bound vendors, and young guides at the trail heads might not surprise - they want
tourism. We do not need to solicit the view of larger stakeholders already heavily in-
vested into property; like restaurants, extra rooms, apartments, and full blown hotel
accommodation - they want tourism. But none of those folks really have the clout to
protect the reef from pollution, its overuse, and of course, global warming. Which
brings it right back into the sights of “ye olde THA,” if only they’d fire their shots.
The THA owns the reef mind you. It was given to them to control under the
Marine Preservation and Enhancement Act (1973). Interestingly, Buccoo Reef being the
only such area in the country, one would want to think that the House of Assembly
might be keen to show off its capacity for managing it properly. Unfortunately this does
not really seem so given the dead diatoms and the crumbled coral. However the THA
ought not to give up. They could enlist the help of the ordinary people who do not
have a Government pay packet; the Civil Society; the taxi-drivers, restaurateurs, hotel
and guest house owners. That forty-seven percent of the working population who are
Tobago’s nature stakeholders – let’s call them that, are actually keen environmental
management assets, because they realise the value of the Reef (and other unique Toba-
go things) to their livelihood.
The mechanism by which the THA and Civil Society could work together is
called a co-management system. Co-management is a proven concept of which the
THA is very well aware. Somebody, maybe a key outgoing politician aware of legacy,
needs to understand that the civilised world actually use co-management to get the
best deal out of all of its natural resources. That person may also need to understand
that legacy has two sides, both of which depend heavily on documentation. Obviously a
concerted and sustained effort to protect Buccoo Reef led by a concerned Administra-
tion will look good in the books. However one is not too sure if sporadic and disor-
ganised efforts, left to own devices, will read as well for posterity.
“Tobago may
soon have the on-
ly truly dead reef
in the
Caribbean. “
“ To many p eopl e these tall pea ks make fo r a c hallen ging b ut scenic hike. Bu t they a re not jus t a no the r tall m oun tain to climb . ”
Page 13 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
SO NEAR, YET SO FAR
Thomas Barbour 1945. A Naturalist in Cuba. Boston: Little, Brown 317 pp.
[Thirty-second in a series on "naturalist-in" books.]
Christopher K. Starr
Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies [email protected]
“the bats got
loose and flew
about the dining
hall, to the con-
sternat ion of
many. “
The American biologist Thomas Barbour (1884-1946) was something of a nerdy in his
youth, with an orientation toward natural-history museums and their specimens. He later
served as director of Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology for almost 20
years.
Barbour had broad interests in animals, especially amphibians and reptiles, and trav-
eled widely on field studies. He was especially fond of Central America and the Caribbean
and explored Cuba during about 30 visits. He was mainly engaged in collecting specimens,
but with a naturalist's keen interest in the living organisms. The joy in his many returns is
seen in his loving descriptions of the various approaches to the island, especially to the
port of Santiago. He characterized himself as "not only a Cuban by adoption but a devot-
ed friend of the land and its people." And in his autobiography (Barbour 1943) he re-
marked that "If I grow loquacious and prolix when it comes to talking about Cuba I do not
care a reap, for I love the country with a deep, passionate affection." For a biologist from
Massachusetts, the largest of the West Indies was conveniently close at hand, yet a very
different world.
His main base in Cuba was the Soledad Botanical Garden, near Cienfuegos. This gar-
den, founded in 1901 and continuing today, was a Harvard facility at that time. It made
perhaps the greatest contribution in allowing young North-American biologists of the time
to acquaint themselves with a tropical biota.
Barbour's broad interests are on display in this book. There is much attention to
caves, and perhaps the most engaged chapter is on collecting in caves with emphasis on
fishes and crustaceans.
The chapter on extant mam-
mals focuses on the Zapata Swamp
on the south coast of Cuba. The
dwarf hutia, Capromys nana, was
known only from fossils until it was
discovered in the swamp. Of special
interest is the endemic large shrew
Solenodon cubanus -- a second species
is endemic to Hispaniola -- that re-
tains some markedly primitive features.
A chapter on bats includes extensive treatment of the horse bat, Molossus tropicorhyn-
chus (Gray). At one time he collected a great number of live specimens for dissection, put
them in bags in his hotel bathtub and went to dinner. One bag was insecurely tied, and
the) bats got loose and flew about the dining hall, to the consternation of many. Barbour
discreetly tied the bag, finished his dinner and then addressed the huge task of dissecting.
Then there was the matter of disposing of the bodies. Early the next day he put them all
Endemic shrew of Hispaniola (Solenodon cubanus)
Page 14 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
into a cheap suitcase, took a train out of the city -- before he reached his destination, "the
bats had become aromatic" -- and then rowed out to sea and discarded the suitcase. This
sort of true-life anecdote is an essential element in a naturalist-in book.
Barbour's interests extended to the physical environment. The book includes an
appendix reviewing the physical geography and geological history of Cuba, with remarks
on fossils. There is also much about hurricanes, although in terms of force and immediate
destruction, not their roles in shaping island biotas.
He regretted that he never got to explore caves in the company of Felipe Poey (1799
-1891), regarded as the founding father of Cuban biology (Poey 1851-1858, 1865-1868).
He also would have loved to go into the field with German-born Johann Christoph “Juan”
Gundlach (1810-1896). Gundlach first went to Cuba in 1839 and lived there continuously
from 1845 to 1865, returning from time to time after that. He sent many papers to Euro-
pean and American journals (Ramsden 1915). Gundlach was a very modest man, much
loved by the local people and characterized by Barbour as "one of the noblest men the
world has known." I have heard Cuban biologists who missed meeting him by more than
a century refer to him with similar appreciation.
However, Barbour was a personal friend and admirer of Carlos de la Torre, "one of
the most captivating characters with whom I have ever come in contact." De la Torre
(1858-1950) was a formidable field naturalist who specialized on land snails.
Barbour was a sociable man, remarking that "I love to chin and chaffer with all the
country folk. I came in contact with them for the sake of finding out not only what they
knew about the habits and distribution of the birds in which we were interested, but also
what they could tell me of their children and their children's children, as well as all the
local gossip." Accordingly, he gives much attention to such aspects as home life and man-
ners, religion, public entertainment, cursing, education and especially food and drink (with
recommendations; Barbour was quite a trencherman). The 16 pages of black-and-white
photos show more buildings and street scenes than plants and animals.
Today, accounts of tropical field work by biologists from the industrialized north
make a point of an egalitarian outlook -- mostly sincere, I have no doubt -- toward the
other peoples and societies. This was not always the case, and Barbour's contemporary
readers likely saw no contradiction his deep affection for Cuba and its people, on the one
hand, and a solidly paternalistic attitude on the other. He refers to Cuba as
"independent", which of course it was not in any real sense until 1959. It is treated in the
book as a colony of the USA, including in scientific terms. He mentions, for example, that
Cuban biologists utilized the Soledad Garden for research on the same basis as their
American colleagues as if this were something noteworthy, as it probably was. His work
in Cuba and Central America was much facilitated by United Fruit Company officials, and
his reference to the company's "civilizing influence" might well flabbergast modern readers.
Barbour had the makings of an ideal naturalist-in author: a professional-level biologist
of long experience, who retained the amateur's enthusiastic eye and conveyed original
observations with strong, lyrical expression. However, while A Naturalist in Cuba is a
worthwhile read, I regret that it is not the splendid book it could have been. It was writ-
ten close to the end of Barbour's life, and the waning of his powers is apparent. The key
shortcoming is one of focus. The text is rather superficial, often skipping from species to
species, with no in-depth treatment of the life and habitat of particular species. The genus
Anolis is especially juicy in Cuba, and Barbour gives it considerable attention, yet even this
is treated in a rather airy, distracted manner. The chapter on "Reptiles and Amphibians" is
mainly a breezy survey of what is there, with occasional notes on personal encounters.
His frequent asides regarding the Boston home area and other places away from Cuba are
a distraction.
Page 15 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Barbour often gives the local and english vernacular names of species, but is rather
casual about scientific names. For example, he devotes a page to the habits of a certain
spider wasp without even mentioning its genus, Pepsis.
References
Barbour, T. 1943. Naturalist at Large. Boston: Little, Brown 314 pp. Online at http://
archive.org/details/naturalistatlarg00barb.
Poey, F. 1851-1858. Memorias sobre la Historia Natural de la Isla de Cuba. Vol. 1-2.
Havana: Barcina.
Poey, F. 1865-1868. Repertorio Físico-Natural de la Isla de Cuba. Vol. 1-2. Havana: Go-
bierno y Capitanía de S.M.
Ramsden, C. 1915. Juan Gundlach. Entomological News 26:241-60.
Page 16 Environment TOBAGO newsletter
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