BIOREACH Project

Part of the BIOREACH Project seeks to restore degraded forests and establish an integrated wildfire management system for Trinidad and Tobago, actively building and enhancing national capacity through collaborative efforts with key stakeholders. Within the last quarter, over 60 participants were beneficiaries to training carried out on the cusp of the 2024 wildfire season during the period 8^th – 16^th January 2024. This intensive training targeted professional Officers and Community-Based Organisations with experience in wildfire response inclusive of personnel from the Forestry Division on both islands, the National and Tobago Reforestation and Watershed Rehabilitation Programmes, the Fondes Amandes Community Reforestation Project, Protectors of the Environment, Fire Services and Disaster Management Agencies.

The training encompassed the full spectrum of wildfire management strategies, moving beyond traditional prevention and control methods. Recognizing the limitations of existing approaches in addressing recurring “bush,” forest, and wildfires, the programme emphasized the need for an integrated approach that incorporates socio-cultural realities, a deeper understanding of ecological fire responses, and utilizes data and technology.

The training encouraged inter-ministerial collaborative efforts between the GIS Unit and the Forestry Division in undertaking an ambitious activity to develop a spatial database where over 700 manual reports would be digitised onto a cloud-based spatial system. The GIS Unit together with the support of the BIOREACH project also be conducted a training session to roll-out a proposed digital reporting system to Forestry personnel for the mapping and reporting of wildfires in Trinidad and Tobago.

Further to this, the Project has equipped the Forestry Division and the Department of Natural Resources and Forestry with approximately TT$275,000 worth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), firefighting tools, and communication equipment. This tangible support underscores our commitment to bolstering their efforts during the 2024 fire season and beyond.

Looking ahead, the BIOREACH Project is poised to embark on its next phase: forest restoration. By collaborating closely with the Forestry Division, we aim to rehabilitate degraded slopes, reintroduce native species, and foster ecological recovery. Moreover, we are developing a Community Forestry and Forest Fire Training Programme to empower local communities in combating agricultural fires and fostering sustainable land management practices.

The BIOREACH project in collaboration with the University of the West Indies – Department of Life Sciences (UWI-DLS) embarked on a ‘Citizen Science’ Training program during the period April to September 2024. This activity supports the Output 2.2.1 – Biodiversity data collected in corridors between Protected Areas through a citizen science approach. This is aimed at collecting scientific data under the project and to further build sensitivity with communities about the value of biodiversity. During this period Forms’ 3 and 4 students of the Biche and Mason Hall Secondary Schools were trained on the fundamentals on biodiversity and usage of the iNaturalist application for data collection and uploading to this global, crowdsourced species identification community. The training was also extended to the community members of Mason Hall during a 1-week programmed held at Corbin Local Wildlife Park in Tobago from 7-11 July 2024. The program supported by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) has realized over 200 beneficiaries in both Trinidad and Tobago.

To mark the culmination of the Citizen Science Training, a series of events were held in Tobago from 20^th – 22^nd September 2024 which included a field visit to Gilpin Trace, Main Ridge for the students of the Mason Hall Secondary School. Furthermore, a ‘Night Walk’ and a ‘Biodiversity Day’ Fair was hosted at Corbin Local Wildlife Park (CLWP) in Mason Hall, Tobago for members of the public. This weekend of activities was facilitated by experts from UWI and local tour guides at CLWP.  Here participants were able to learn more about their local biodiversity and how they can play a role in protection and conservation of these species. A similar event was held in Trinidad for the students of Biche Secondary School on 30^th September 2024 which included participants from neighbouring primary schools Cushe Government Primary School, Biche Presbyterian School and Biche RC Primary School.

The events were supported by various environmental NGOs and agencies such as the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, Trinidad and Tobago Bird Observatory, EMA – Public Education Unit, Division of Food Security, Natural Resources, the Environment and Sustainable Development and the University of the West, El Socorro Wildlife Conservation Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries – Forestry Division, Ministry of Planning and Development – Environmental Policy and Planning Division. Participants were engaged in guided tours and other educational activities to reinforce the learnings of the programme.

The Environmental Management Authority (EMA) through the project ‘Biodiversity Conservation and Agroecological Land Restoration in Productive Landscapes of Trinidad and Tobago’ (BIOREACH) conducted a training exercise through which twenty-five Forest Officers, and other employees of the Forestry Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, benefitted from training on the rehabilitation of degraded forests.

The training was facilitated by Dr. Claus-Martin Eckelmann, Regional Forestry Officer with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO-UN). The chosen delivery method utilized was the ‘Train the Trainer’ method, where the overarching framework of these sessions allowed for these expert personnel to share their insights into how they can effectively rehabilitate overharvested forested areas in Trinidad. These sessions comprised of both theoretical and practical exercises, in which participants received hands-on training to enhance their role in managing these Blocks, in tree identification and the management of the Future Crop Trees.

The training aimed to strengthen the capacity of the Forestry Division towards rehabilitating forests previously managed under the Open Range Block System. In this widely used system, individual licensed loggers were allowed to select and harvest a specified volume or number of trees anywhere in a defined range. The selected trees are inspected and approved for felling by Forest Officers, who consider the minimum girth limits and availability of replacement trees within a specified distance, forest structure, wildlife, and soil considerations. However, over time with a lack of supervision and enforcement, overharvesting occurred in some areas which led to depletion of the forest resources.

The Forestry Division has since largely discontinued the system and is now seeking to restore these Blocks. With these new practices being enacted, local forests can now flourish under the areas of soil conservation, increased climate control protection, water source protection, air quality, and biodiversity conservation. This training allows for the development of greater transparency and accountability to decision-making processes on contentious issues such as land tenure and land-use management, encompassing the overall objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Environmental Management Authority (EMA), through the BIOREACH Project, successfully hosted an Integrated Wildfire Management Training programme from January 8th to 16th, 2024, in both Trinidad and Tobago. This intensive training targeted professional Officers and Community-Based Organisations with experience in wildfire response. Over 60 participants, including personnel from the Forestry Division on both islands, the National and Tobago Reforestation and Watershed Rehabilitation Programmes, the Fondes Amandes Community Reforestation Project, Protectors of the Environment, Fire Services and Disaster Management Agencies, benefited from the training. The programme was led by Mr. Thomas Anderson, a seasoned Fire Management Specialist with over 20 years of experience with the US National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, and extensive regional expertise in bridging the gap between emerging wildland fire science, community preparedness, and ecosystem resilience. Mr. Anderson was supported by Mr. Blane Heumann who brought to the team extensive experience in fire safety and the Incident Command System.

The training encompassed the full spectrum of wildfire management strategies, moving beyond traditional prevention and control methods. Recognizing the limitations of existing approaches in addressing recurring “bush,” forest, and wildfires, the programme emphasized the need for an integrated approach that incorporates socio-cultural realities, a deeper understanding of ecological fire responses, and utilises data and technology.

The core objective of the training was to develop the capacity of stakeholders through the creation a framework that aims to address the root causes of fires and mitigate their threats to our precious biodiversity. The curriculum commenced by exploring the benefits, goals, and components of an integrated approach. Participants actively shared their valuable wildfire fighting experiences and lessons learned. Subsequent days transitioned to field-based sessions, where safety considerations were paramount. The trainer introduced the Incident Command System (ICS) – a standardized approach for managing wildfire incidents of any size, ensuring collaborative and efficient response among diverse stakeholders.

The highlight of the programme was the carefully planned and executed controlled burn at the St. Michael’s Agroforestry Station in Tacarigua. Controlled burns, when implemented by trained professionals, offer numerous benefits for both environmental and human communities. Notably, they reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires by clearing undergrowth and debris that fuel uncontrolled blazes. This technique creates natural firebreaks, making fire control more manageable, especially during dry periods and other extreme weather events.

The BIOREACH Project which seeks to restore degraded forests and establish an integrated wildfire management system for Trinidad and Tobago, actively builds the capacity of key stakeholders including the Forestry Division through initiatives such as this training programme. Additionally, the Project is developing a Community Forestry and Forest Fire Training Programme, as a specific module dedicated to tackling agricultural fires. Further to this, the Project has equipped the Forestry Division with approximately $250,000 worth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), firefighting tools, and communication equipment.

The next phase of the BIOREACH Project focuses on forest restoration. In collaboration with the Forestry Division, the Project plans to rehabilitate frequently burned slopes utilizing the integrated approach and reintroducing native species to promote ecological recovery and break the cycle of these destructive fires.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN), in collaboration with the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) through the project ‘Biodiversity Conservation and Agroecological Land Restoration in Productive Landscapes of Trinidad and Tobago’ BIOREACH recently facilitated a five-day ‘Land Management Mapping and Reporting’ workshop. Over thirty (30) persons with a strong technical background in remote sensing and GIS technologies from various Ministries, State Agencies and Academia were invite d to attend this workshop during the period 18^th to 22^nd 2023.

The training was facilitated by Dr. César Luis García, FAO Consultant, with specialties in Sustainable Land Management, Land Degradation Neutrality, land use/cover mapping, forest monitoring and restoration. Dr. García is assisting the country with developing programmes that are focused on mitigating the impacts of land degradation from unsustainable livelihood practices such as poor land use, encroachment into protected areas and forest fires.

The objective of this training was to build the capacity of our various land and natural resource management institutions to utilize open-source, remote sensing and cloud computing tools to monitor land degradation and wildfires.  Participants were engaged in an interactive, demonstrative and guided practice training specific to the use of Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform as an open-source tool to process satellite data to build on their foundation knowledge.

Significantly, the training programme further aimed to create greater collaborations amongst national experts and decision makers with responsibility for monitoring, reporting and evaluating land resources. It is envisioned that through this initiative, the country will develop its capacity to fulfill our reporting obligations to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and better manage our land resources.

The BIOREACH is a Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded 4-year project that seeks to promote biodiversity conservation, restore degraded lands and improve the livelihoods of rural communities in targeted productive landscapes throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

The Environmental Policy and Planning Division (EPPD) of the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development has been executing and overseeing a number of projects pertaining to biodiversity within the last few years, including the BES-Net TT Project (now concluded) and the ongoing BIOREACH Project. The former addressed the improved conservation and management of pollinators and pollination in the context of enhancing science, policy and practice regarding these important organisms, and the latter is designed to promote biodiversity conservation, restore degraded lands, and improve the livelihoods of rural communities in productive landscapes, which includes measures to protect biodiversity, reduce land degradation, and support sustainable agriculture.

Throughout the execution of both projects, a number of public awareness materials have been generated. In light of two important upcoming observance days, World Bee Day (20^th May) and the International Day for Biological Diversity (22^nd May), the EPPD is hosting a launch event to commemorate these days via the launch of several guides: The Guidelines for Sustainable Meliponini Management in Trinidad and Tobago (BES-Net TT), the Trinidad and Tobago Pollinator Community Science Monitoring Guide (BES-Net TT) and the Field Guide of Selected Native and Exotic Medicinal and Edible Plants of Trinidad and Tobago (BIOREACH).

The launch will take place at the University Inn and Conference Centre, St. Augustine, on Monday, 26^th May 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

An agenda for the event can be found below:

You can also view and download the agenda by clicking HERE.